Do You Realize Just How Good This Good Friday Is? (Here's a Reminder)
In God’s realm, good things come out of bad stuff.
I was anxious to finish my Good Friday newsletter and figured I’d take a shortcut by pulling up a post I knew I’d written on Medium. I had no idea it had been so long—turns out the last time I wrote about Good Friday was way back on April 10, 2020. Reading it again reminded me just how far we’ve come. The spiritual awakening that came out of the pandemic is definitely something to celebrate. Here’s a quote from that post.
I believe with all my heart that America will return from this pandemic stronger than ever. God has taken a prominent place in many lives where He had been forgotten. As we gather on the internet instead of in our homes, let's all reflect on Good Friday's place in our lives. As Christians, we celebrate what Christ did for us on the cross.
It's easy to forget how impactful it was when we get through something as life-altering as COVID-19. Seeing that my faith in better days was fully intact was inspiring. I am a woman of faith, but there are times when I've had to pray like the man in Mark 9:24, seeking healing for his child and asking Jesus to help him in his unbelief. Seeing the light at the end of our tunnels isn't always easy.
It's been over five years since we spent Good Friday and Easter locked down in our homes. In hindsight, we know we should have refused to keep the doors of our churches locked and canceled the gatherings in our homes with loved ones to celebrate the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior. It's safe to say we won't be duped like that again. I know I won't.
This is an especially good Good Friday for me as I reflect on how the Church experienced the awakening that COVID brought on. We've come so far from the Holy Week of 2020. Many churches will have services today to acknowledge Christ's sacrifice on the cross for all sinners.
Churches will be packed and overflowing on Sunday.
Join me in praying that millions of the "Creasters"-who only attend church on Easter and Christmas —come into a relationship with Jesus and turn their lives over to His care. The past five years of wars, a tanked economy, and attacks on our religious freedom have been a shaking we needed to wake us from our slumber. I love what the Perplexity app says about the consequences of the Church’s lack of involvement.
The Consequences of Political Avoidance
The Church's reluctance to engage in political issues has often been motivated by a desire to avoid controversy, maintain unity, or focus on spiritual rather than temporal matters. However, this avoidance can have unintended consequences:
• By not addressing pressing social and political issues, the Church risks becoming irrelevant to its members' daily lives and societal concerns.
• Silence on political matters can be interpreted as tacit support for the status quo, as seen historically when some churches failed to oppose slavery or other injustices.
• Avoiding political engagement can lead to a loss of moral authority and the inability to offer a biblical framework for understanding contemporary issues.
As one commentator notes, "Seeking to avoid getting dirty in the messiness of the real world does not reflect how Jesus lived and served…a church that never speaks to those issues…is a church teaching a faith that doesn't apply to our lives. It misunderstands the way Jesus subverted the powers. Avoidance is irrelevance."
Wow! That nails exactly why we wound up in such a mess. We need active and relevant churches that will guide their parishioners in all areas of importance. That includes our duty to vote, use our voices to promote biblical practices, and stand against tyranny and evil.
If you don't have a home church to celebrate our Savior with, I encourage you to find one. We must embrace our freedom to worship together. We are privileged to live in a time that will reap the biggest harvest of Christ's followers in history, not just in America but worldwide.
Have a blessed Good Friday. Reflect often on how special it is.
If you’d like to read my 2020 post on Medium, you can find it here.