Good Friday is not the end of the story

01.APR.10

Today’s world is filled with such tragedy.

Stories abound, even here in little St. Vincent and the Grenadines, of persons who have lost almost everything they have worked for in the wake of the global financial crisis. This week we report that the St. Benedict’s Home and Day Nursery at Georgetown has found itself in a bind, as funds, which they had invested and now need for their rebuilding project, have not been forthcoming.{{more}}

Domestic violence keeps rearing its ugly head, many times with really tragic results. One young mother was left paralyzed from the waist down after a brutal attack, while another, who was the only breadwinner in the home, had her right hand chopped off.

It is said that no parent should ever have to bury a child, such is the grief associated with that task. Imagine the despair experienced by parents who are called to do just that for a third time!

However, as Christians, we should not despair. Even those persons on the brink of financial ruin; those who have been let down by loved ones or lost their jobs; those who lie sick with little hope of recovery, especially those in constant pain, those with suffering of all types – physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, there is yet hope for deliverance.

Holy Week reminds Christians that whatever situation we face, it can never get as bad as Christ’s was, as he hung on the cross on Good Friday. Christ, therefore, understands what we are going through. His outstretched arms on the cross signify the capacity and extent and fullness of his love and compassion for us. If he watches over the sparrow, he is surely watching over us. It is difficult, but we should accept that he sees the bigger picture and knows what is best for us.

The joy and triumph of Easter gives a lie to those who believe that there is nothing beyond the grave and that the suffering we experience now is meaningless and futile.

Without Good Friday, there would be no Easter.

Good Friday gives meaning to Easter. It is said that we cannot truly experience joy if we never experience suffering. The tragedy being faced by so many is their Good Friday.

But Good Friday is not the end of the story. Easter cometh. Alleluia!