A Christian’s Thoughts on Good Friday

Today, Good Friday, is the second most important date in the Christian calandar; it falls behind Easter and just ahead of Christmas for it is what made the former possible and the reason the latter even happened. Christians have been celebrating the Easter season for just about 1980 years now and Good Friday is set aside traditionally for Christians to stop what they’re doing and reflect on why the death of Christ on the cross even had to happen to begin with! Today, while I will be spending all of my day doing that, I did want to offer a more general reflection for Christians today on how we sent Christ to the cross ourselves, just based on our own sins these days…

First, we in the Church have greatly failed in standing up to the attacks from the world. In particular, we have either found ourselves blindly rallying behind any company that is criticized for its unethical practices, simply because we don’t want to seem anti-capitalist, or we turn a blind eye to the pure hatred that modern socialism has for religion, and in particular the one true faith, lest we seem anti-social justice. In other words, we in the Church have actually merged Church and State, but not in the way the world suggests, but rather by bringing the state, its politics, and all its other inheritable, corruptable problems into the presence of God through His Church. We have not only surrendered to the calls for secularism but have practically endorsed it, ignoring the fact that this is the most dangerous religious threat to Christianity, except for perhaps fundamental Islam. We have made the world’s ways our ways! Rather than bringing our worldly colours into the gathering of God’s holy men and women, we should be shining examples to the world’s inhabitants of what God’s goodness, His forgivenness and the subsequent justice that must come after reconciliation with Him does to a life, even here on Earth.

Secondly, we have failed to stand up to the intruders from the inside. Take the example over at Warren Kinsella’s website. A column that apparently is over politics boils down in the end to the true hatred for the Gospel message and it is not alone. This may be the result of the evil one’s inspiration, or it may just be a brother in error. What we have to remember though is that there is an effort to attack the Church, even from within and that we are tasked with keeping it out! As Christ has said, many would come like wolves in sheeps’ clothing, trying to lure believers away with false doctrines and teachings. We have to stand up to such falacy and draw a clear line in the sand between what it means to be a faithful servant of Christ who is humble on one hand and just a man who lives for himself and subsequently becomes a tool through which Satan can put words in the Church’s mouth. The Devil is not stupid; he knows that the best way to discredit the Church is to put one of his own in it and then have that person do and say things that would harm the reputation of Christ’s Church. When such threats arise, the Church has a duty for the sake of God’s Holy name to keep the Church pure and faithful in all parts to His Word.

Finally, the biggest sin we have committed against Christ these days for which He went to the cross is in failing to stand up for ourselves. In these days of materialism, we have either convinced ourselves that acts of charity and good works or a simple uttering of belief in Christ will buy our way into Heaven. Heaven, while a wonderful place and whose guranteed citizenship is a wonderful bonus to being a follower of Christ, is not the main focus of Christianity. Nor is it about God blessing our lives with riches, peace and prosperity. The weath gospel and the social gospel are only tools on the right and the left respectively used by the evil one to lure baby Christians away. Away that is from growth under the care of our Heavenly Father. You see, it is only when we truly realize that God is the focus of Christianity and that we don’t even deserve to be worthless servants despite God’s merciful calling to such a duty can we finally have the right attitude and grow as Christians. Rather, our faith is stuck here on Earth all too often. Paul says it should be Christ living through us, not us living for ourselves and certainly not Christ living for us, but far too often, many Christians like to believe the latter two of those statements…especially the third! Before we’ll see any true peace, spiritual maturity and fruits of our faith, we have to go back to square one as it was and confront our lives for what they aren’t.

Two caviets I’ll add in closing is that a) I have someone in particular in this post: myself. I’ve committed every since offence I’ve mentioned about in the last year and was wrong for doing so. But I know God has called me to change, and I know that this call echos throughout the Church which needs to hear it desperately right now. b)Before Christians can make the major impact on the world that we always say we will, in public office, in social norms, in schools, workplaces or halls, or in the homes of friends or family, we have to make sure that the light we emit shines brightly. I know mine isn’t as bright as it could and should be; in fact, it is true for many of us Christians around the world. However, unlike our other failings, this one will be life and death for many souls around the world, and we have an obligation to give God our all for that reason. I pray that come this time next year, our world will not look so grim and that Good Friday’s message will be more universally understood! God bless!