A reflection for Good Friday 2020

From Rev'd Canon Philip Cunningham

Good Friday. Jesus hangs on the Cross. 
Jesus Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.

Sin is a failure to love. Sin is when we fail to “love God and to love our neighbour” 

The Good Friday story tells of darkness covering the whole earth – like the darkness at the start of Genesis , the darkness into which God’s Light shines to bring  about a creation of love, a creation intended for love, a creation of such deep love as to allow us the choice NOT to love. .

If we choose not to love, if we walk into the dark by our own choice then there has to be a new creation to bring light from the darkness, to restore and renew love.  

Christ’ work on the cross and in the tomb brings about new life, new creation, resurrection; earth and heaven are reunited in a new creation of love.

On Good Friday we gather around one of the most barbaric torture instruments of all time: the cross. We gather around the Cross, in silence; there are no words.  Only Love.

O dearest Lord Thy sacred head with thorns was pierced for me
O pour Thy blessing on my head that I may think for Thee .

O dearest Lord Thy sacred hands with nails were pierced for me
O pour Thy blessing on my hands that I may work for Thee.

O dearest Lord Thy sacred feet with nails were  pierced for me
O pour Thy blessing on my head that I may follow Thee.

O dearest Lord Thy sacred heart with spear was pierced for me
O  pour Thy blessing on my heart that I may live for Thee.