Good Friday gives meaning to Easter

Every day we wake up to bad news, or so it sometimes seems.

The truth is, many good and positive things also happen, but when we hear stories about senseless gun violence, even here in our tiny nation, those types of stories tend to eclipse all others. 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, more than once.

Domestic violence keeps rearing its ugly head, many times with very tragic results. Over the past year, acts of domestic violence included a woman who died after she was set on fire by her lover and just this past week, a man who used a stone to burst the head of the mother of his four children was sentenced to three years in jail by the senior magistrate. Particularly troubling are the reports of acts of violence, including sexual assault and murder perpetrated by juveniles.

Stories abound, even here in little St Vincent and the Grenadines, of businesses in financial difficulty and families being broken up for one reason or the other.

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!