What's so Good about Good Friday?

For the entries over this weekend, I will take a break from my Wrestling with God series (WWG) to do my own personal examination and reflection of the significance of these days to humanity. 

Now, to begin, I come from a decidedly Christian background. And, the foundation of what I believe today has its roots in a form of Christianity. I was born into a Christian (Lutheran) family, my relations on both sides go back as practicing Christians for centuries, I was baptized in Lutheran theology, graduated from a Lutheran university, and have a personal obsession with learning about theology and different belief systems. I have learned a bit more from various external sources than the average pew-bench warmer; yet, I am certain that I still have much to learn. "The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know!" < a life mantra of mine!  

What that means, for me, is that my belief - if I claim the identity of a Christian - needs to be founded and grounded in the historical and theological understanding of what these three days are all about: Good Friday - Holy Saturday - Easter Sunday. Without that belief, I have no idea how one would call themselves a Christian. Call yourself whatever, but - unless it can be explained to me how that identifier fits for you - it is my opinion that the term "Christian" is saved for those who accept these three days for what they mean on a human, historical, cosmic, and spiritual level. Call yourself whatever ... but not that. We would have a fundamental definition disconnect which would need to be addressed and overcome first for me to accept that 'label' for you. (I'm anti-label for most things, but for a few terms, like this one - it's immutable for me, until I'm shown another understand that I can get behind. Definitions are important for communication. If your definition is different, we need to examine that.) 

I posted the following on my FB today: Am wrestling today with the age-old question: "What's so good about Good Friday?" And I don't mean the Christian rhetoric that goes with it, generally around "today led to the resurrection on Sunday" or "it’s called Good Friday because, by Jesus’ death, he became the final, complete sacrifice for our sins." But here's the thing - what about for those who don't believe this? What if those words mean nothing to some? What about those that do not view the redemption part of this story? Does that mean this day is just another Friday for them? And then they get to benefit the stat holiday from those who do have a Christian belief? I also think that when we read the word *good* in the phrase and take the time to understand what the actual origins of that word in this phrase, this might add to the contextual understanding, too. I don't know. I guess I'm looking for a 'both-and', not 'either-or' ... and something for those "just another Friday" people, too. I guess I'm searching for the unity behind this and not the division. So far, no answers. Just a lot of questions.

In truth - I am wrestling, but not the way others might wrestle. I have questions, but not questions like most other people. I will also say I got a lot of lovely, thoughtful comments from friends, which I am so honoured to read! but the specific ponderings behind my post were not addressed. So, I figured today I'd take a bit of a break from my "Wrestling with God" (WWG) series and do a bit of a deep dive on the significance (for me) of today, tomorrow, and, lastly, Sunday. And another small digression - I'm starting to contemplate the idea of the Trinity - not just in 3 persons, but 3-a-lot-of-things. Maybe for another WWG entry? All focused on and around "The GodHead". Yeah, for another entry, not now.

Good Friday.

Here is my personal unpacking on the question I posed on FB today:

If you do a search online, the traditional responses you find to the opening question, generally respond as thus: This refers to the holiday's ties to Easter Sunday, which celebrates the resurrection of Christ. Because Jesus couldn't have been resurrected without dying, the day of his death is, in a sense, *good.* That terrible Friday has been called Good Friday because it led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin and the celebration of Easter, the very pinnacle of Christian celebrations. (Source here) Or, For Christians, Good Friday is a crucial day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most pivotal day in the history of the world. On Good Friday, Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. ... It was not the nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was his unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do his Father's will -- and it was his love for sinners like me. ... It was a *good* day because he traded places for you and for me. It is a good day because it was the day he conquered sin and death so that we will never be apart from God on this side of heaven or the other. (Source here) And, I agree a part of that (yes, not all ... but that's for another time ...), but none of these address what this day means to those who do not believe in the atonement of Jesus. So, now what?

See ... here's the thing: I believe it does have a meaning for those who do not believe. I believe it's significance is in atonement, and more. Whether they believe it or realize it or even care to know about it isn't even the point. But I do believe there is significance for them. For everyone. Regardless of what they believe at this moment in their lives. I believe it is universal (that 'both-and') - regardless of the personal. Let's see if I can explain ...

I have a friend, a 'baby' Christian, who once said to me that he thought that Good Friday was the most important day in the Christian year. I thought about it and concluded that could not agree with him ... why? because everyone will die. In the death, there is nothing special about Jesus. It is with Christ's resurrection that everything changes. So, in a way - yes, it starts today, but that's not the end of the story. Not by a long shot. It's not even the inciting moment ... but more, perhaps, the beginning of the climax, if you want to do a bit of a literary analysis on the whole thing. And it's far even from the climax, the reason, the turning point of the story.

I was reading today that there's a bit of a frustration surrounding the Apostle's Creed: particularly "... He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died and was buried ..." What happened in between "...Virgin Mary ... and suffered under Pontius Pilate ..." ??? A whole 33 years were lived! and not one mention? What does that mean? that they didn't mean anything? That they are of no significance? That Jesus' life was not important but only his death was? That this is only about the 'Get Into Heaven Free' card? I will say that I do not believe that at all. It seems there are many that treat this as their own 'life doesn't matter, only heaven matters' card. That's not me either. But, what I do believe is ... is that those 33 years are the direction of the story. I do see those years as the 'rising action', that every point counts along the path to Golgotha, that is where it all leads, to the climax, the turning point, the reason. And this, for me, plays into the unpacking of the initial question.

Hopefully, you'll note a few things at this point: (a) I refer to this as a story; there's good reason for that and it has nothing to do with fact vs fiction, (b) I make a distinction between Jesus and Christ; there's good reason for that, too. (Christ is not Jesus' last name!) All to be unpacked in a future WWG entry! But, I digress ... again ... !!

Back to the original question, the significance, the 'goodness' of this Friday:

There are two things I need to unpack on regarding this day, on why I believe the day to be 'good'. #1 - from a linguistic and historical view; #2 - from a cosmic, spiritual, redemptive view.

#1 - There is a lot out there that says the "good" in Good Friday has a contextual bit of a different meaning. Generally, a definition of good is "to be desired or approved of." The events of this Friday in history anyone today would agree that they were not desired or approved of; anyone living that day would definitely not agree to that! Crucifixion was not a family trip to see the latest blockbuster! So, from our understanding of what good means, this doesn't fit.

For those who live today who do not think of this day as any different from any other day of the week, there's nothing special about this day. Then, for you, it's neither specifically "good" or "bad" - thinking does not make it thus. It's 'good' or 'bad' would be completely dependant on what happens for and to you on that day. It's just as 'good' as the Thursday or Monday or Tuesday before and after. The definition of "benefit or advantage to someone or something" might be a bit closer to its use in #2 (covered further down). But the significance of the 'good' in Good Friday for you ... yeah, nothing. And that's ok.

But, maybe more accurate is the historical meaning behind this word's use here - there is evidence that its actual meaning is linked more to 'God's Day' than 'Good Friday'. According to Anatoly Liberman, a professor of English origins at the University of Minnesota, says that alternatives for this day, throughout history, include: "Long Friday" (Anglo-Saxons - due to the breaking of the fasting of Lent), "Sacred Friday" (in the romance languages), "Sorrowful Friday" (German), "Passion Friday" (Russian) [side note: why do you think the movie was called The Passion of the Christ?], and "God's Friday" - from a version of the contraction "God Be With You" which as become our "goodbye". So, perhaps in a lot of ways, we call this Good Friday, not because of what we believe, but because of the collective history this part of the world participates in.

Think also: those who believe different things still call Sunday or Monday or any of the days of the week as we do, even though we might not believe in Nordic mythology; or the months and their names we call them as they are even though we are not Roman. There are things in a name - and when we call things by that name, it doesn't mean we 'believe' them, we just understand and accept them. If I am in another country, and they have a certain day, I accepted it and called it thus. When I was in Korea, they had Buddha's Birthday and Children's Day. It didn't bother me to call that date that name; I learned about what this day meant so I could understand and accept it. I didn't believe in it, but I honoured it for them. I also got those days off, even if I didn't practice their traditions on that day! I didn't complain or push back or get my nose in a snit, but instead I found it interesting, and I learned something new. Today, I still remember that on a certain day in May many celebrate Buddha's birthday (this year, May 15), and this year, South Korea will recognize Children's Day on May 5th. Yay them! If nothing else, I hope those that see Good Friday as a day like any other day, at least understand why it is called it, even if they don't believe it. And, like I did in Korea, you get the day off!!

#2 - Which brings me to the cosmic and spiritual understanding. Or, something along the lines of "for the benefit or advantage of someone." On a purely secular (non-Christian) level, this day/weekend has taken on a 'Spring' significance. A weekend of renewal, of rebirth, of fertility, of awakening. Many cultures over time have incorporated new season/year celebrations at this time because it's the time of livestock being born and the time of planting for the new harvests. We cannot control how the seasons change, we cannot force them to do something different (yes, we could build greenhouses and manipulate nature, but not so sure how that plays out in the long run - nutrient-wise or taste-wise on the agrarian scale, etc.). Nature is a great equalizer - everyone is influenced by nature, we all are born, we all live, we all die. The rain falls equally on everyone.

By that, there are things in the cosmic world (natural) that influence us whether we acknowledge their existence or not. We might be vehemently opposed to "round earth theory" but that doesn't mean we're not influenced or affected by it. We might have no clue what "gravity" is but our lives are greatly defined by it. We might do everything we can to avoid death, but that doesn't mean that death will not come for each of us. By the same thought, we might not believe in the existence of "God" but that does not mean there is none. And ... I'll take that one step further - just because one does not believe in the importance of this weekend does not mean it does not impact us on some level, in some way, whether we acknowledge it or not. We have no control over how many Wednesdays we'll live (via natural selection), we have no control over what happens after death - we might think we do and think we know, and be absolutely convinced of that, but in reality, if we leave things to how things happen 'naturally', we don't. When it comes time to our death, we each take that 'next step' alone regardless of whatever we thought it would be. What we each believe and what is, are likely not the same at all. And I speak to myself, too. We simply cannot know regardless of what we think we know. That is part of our humanity. In my thinking, there is God - and I am not God. (And that keeps everything in perspective.)

Which brings me to those last points ... death and beyond. Just because we do not believe it does not mean it doesn't exist; and more pointed, it doesn't mean we are not affected by it. Stupidity does not guarantee certainty, no matter how smart we think we are.

I remember a long time ago, in 1981/82 to be exact, I had a conversation with my then-roommate in college. She had taken a world religions class and had been presented with the concept of "Universal Salvation." And since I was her roommate, I remember getting into a discussion with her that left me very affected. Disturbed, even. This concept had never been part of my learnings to this point. However, since then, I've done a lot of pondering, a lot of my own research and inquiry, and I am no longer affected or bothered by this. In fact, I have found there are interpretations of that concept that I quite like (and many others that make me think WTF? where'd that come from??). And, if I may, there are also some wonderful ones that I have come to the point where I agree with.

A massive turning point for me was reading this. Here, I saw a way to understand the salvation of humanity, not just of Christians, but of humanity. Of all of creation. All of us, past - present - future. I was able to understand a loving God for Creation and how the redemption story fits with universal salvation. It also became clear to me how the unity of all, of the a-one-ment, was also possible at the same time as atonement. (That wrestling will be examined in more depth in a coming WWG entry, but I will touch on it briefly in the following lines ...)

What that means, for me, is that these three days, though we might not believe them or accept them does not mean we are not all affected by them. It is my personal belief that salvation is universal. The death of Jesus and the resurrection of Christ is for the salvation and redemption of all creation. "Spring" does come for all of us! (Ahh! Another two words that need further reflection from me: Salvation and Redemption!) Jesus' death and Christ's resurrection has to do with the unity, the one-ness, the reunion with our Creator. Both in redemption AND unity. Do we experience that now? In its fullness, in its Truth? No - we are not God. Though God might reside in us, that does not make us God. But in tiny part, maybe a bit? That God-gene nudging us? When we stand in awe of the first buds on the tree, when we witness the birth of another, when the crocus pushes through the snow in all its purple glory or the tree bursts into its autumnal flames of colour or that pristine first snowfall! when we experience something in our soul for which we find no words but brings us to our knees in gratitude ... then, maybe then, a bit. "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then - we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then - I will know everything completely, just as God knows me completely now." (1Cor13:12) What this does develop in us is a sense of wonder, of awe, of realizing that we are teachable, that we do not know everything, and that the journey is never complete this side of life. We remember we are ignorant.

[I do have to insert a small comment here: don't get me wrong - I do believe there are other elements that potentially come into play here ... a form of arrogance, of ego, of ... stupidity? of evil? To make sure you understand me, I define these words as: Ignorance, for me is not knowing but being aware that there is knowledge yet to learn and being open and receptive to that; Stupidity, for me, is being absolutely convinced that *I* possess all the knowledge on this topic and that my knowledge is absolute, and *you* have nothing to teach me. Evil, something, too, that plays into this, but that's for later. As for what does this mean for 'these' people, I'll examine that more in a WWG writing. Go there, I won't examine that here.]

What I believe this day means for now, for all, is: - we are all reminded that our life has a shelf-life. No exceptions. At some point, I believe, for all of us, all this will pass away. But that's not what the story of these three days is about. We are reminded of that, but don't stop there ... If it was, then death would be the end. The story would stop today - this would be the high point, the climax. But, instead, the we are reminded - yes, we will die. But the Truth of this lies in the reason, the relationship, of what is coming, of what has been given to us all and fulfilled: Love. All of Creation is covered with the Love significance of these three days. Not only in how we identify the years through which we live (AD - Anno Domini, Year of our Lord), but also that though we will all die, that death isn't the end. Jesus died on Friday ... Christ rose on Sunday. The message, I think, is clear: pain is real, but we need not fear ... it has all already been done for us. REGARDLESS of what you or I believe! Regardless of who I think should and shouldn't (or who you think should and shouldn't). Death is not the end of the story. For all of us. Regardless of our mistakes, of what we do and do not believe, of how ignorant or stupid we are, of who we love and who we hate, the point is we are loved. Each of us. And THAT'S what I think today is about ... reminding us that life will not last forever, but Love will. And in that, we need not fear.

But now, for today ... let's let go and enter the tomb with him ... let's be reminded that to live, we also must die. Yet, we need not fear death. But for now ... it is good to be reminded that we are human. That all this will surely come to an end. And that is ok. 

Better yet - and this is to our benefit, and that is undoubtedly good. Very good. 

Tomorrow, we enter the crypt. The tomb. Tomorrow, we join Jesus in death. 

(If you don't believe this, that's perfectly fine. What you believe is your choice. I do encourage you, however, to do your own wrestling with what this day means to you, determine what your belief is and why. I believe it's ok to be ignorant, but not stupid! Blessed be your journey!)