Category Archives: God

The Goodness that is Good Friday

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It was hard, cruel and excruciating. There was blood, sweat and thorns. The air was filled with bitterness, hatred, and anger. And amidst the rancor, the condemnation of an innocent man to die a humiliating death on a Roman cross. Darkness descended on the whole land in the middle of the day. An earthquake shook the people. The veil of the temple in Jerusalem was ripped in half from top to bottom at the hour of Jesus death. They pierced his side and watched as blood and water flow out from his broken heart.

And we call it Good Friday. Where is the goodness in that, you might say? Well, there is. An amazing amount of goodness.

Explore with me the goodness that is Good Friday…

At first glance, it seems that all is lost. That good has been overtaken by evil. That the mean, debauched and loud majority has won. That the voice of kindness and love has been silenced. That the Man of Galilee is no more and the hope that He brought, gone.

But that Friday was planned by God to bring about a better day. It was truly His goodness that was about to be shown to the whole world. Through the sacrifice that we see in the voluntary laying down of His life, Jesus was sending us a message: “For greater love has no man than this, that a man would lay down his life for his friend.” He was, in essence, saying: “The goodness of God is wooing you back to your Creator. I am making a way for an unholy people to be redeemed back to a holy God. This is love personified.”

He-Is-Risen

Good Friday was a prerequisite to Sunday morning’s Resurrection. Without the first, there wouldn’t have been the second. Jesus said as much to the disciples: “It’s dark now, but wait, Sunday’s on the way.” He promised to rise again and He did. And the Resurrection brought hope to all mankind. Good Friday wasn’t a defeat, it was a victory. A victory over sin, over self, a victory over death, hell and the grave! Wow…goodness, hope and joy!

That’s why we call it Good Friday.

Life is like this too. There is pain, agony and hurt. We may sometimes wonder if we’ll make it through. Whatever happens, hold on, it is often darkest just before dawn. And today I encourage you to think about the goodness that is Good Friday, embrace it – embrace God’s goodness – and you’ll feel the joy when Sunday dawns.

Happy Easter everyone!

A Meteor, The Galaxy, and the Joy of Wonder

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So, a meteor hit the earth on Friday, during breakfast, of all things. Or just before. There we were, hubby and I quietly sipping our tea and reading the WSJ. Thinking we might also check the TV for up-to-the-minute headlines, we almost didn’t bother. “TV news is so boring lately.” one of us said. But we hit the remote anyway, just in time to hear: Space flare
“A meteor hurtling at 33,000 miles per hour hit the earth in the past hour and we are switching over to Greg Palkot in London for the latest…” Like lightening, we quickly glanced at each other…so, nothing happening, eh? Has London been obliterated in the past hour?

Thank God, it hadn’t, but hey, a shock for a Brit to hear first thing in the morning. Certainly felt for the Russians though. Goes to show you, you never know what a day may bring…

It brings to mind that we are a tiny planet in a large galaxy. When was the last time you simply gazed up at the stars on a clear night and were struck by the majesty of it all. Has it been a while? A long while?

How easy to become so immersed in the mundane things of life and lose the wonder of it all. Losing that child-like, and joyful, quality of wonder.

There is something awe-striking about pondering the wonder of this great creation, and the wonder of God who created it all. As someone so eloquently said on Twitter recently: “Yes, I believe in a ‘big bang’, there must have been quite a ‘big bang’ when God said, “Let there be light!”

It’s also interesting how our lives are put into perspective when a meteor strikes, or simply when we gaze at the stars above us. We are not the center of the universe after all. Not the big-shots we think we are. There is Someone much greater. Massively greater. Someone whose thoughts are infinitely greater than ours. The Bible says it this way: “My thoughts are so much higher than your thoughts, and my ways than your ways, says the Lord.”

Take a moment today to bring back the wonder into your life. Wonder at the wonder of it all, and the wonder of God. Enjoy again the simple joy of wonder.

And remember those Russians in your prayers.