Friday, April 06, 2012

a good friday

Marigold is tearing heads of my beautiful tulips as a visual of the destruction wrought by sin upon the earth. I have many things to do today, but before I get up to get on with them I offer you my annual posting of this hymn. The picture, of course, is of Old Good Shepherd. Micah snapped it on the last day as we were finishing packing up. As some kind of predestined miraculous gift, someone unknown to us found it online and posted it with this hymn.

Those worshiping in this space today will not be lifting up their faces and hands to Jesus but gathering for regular Muslim Friday prayers.This feels particularly grievous to me today because of the sudden take over of the north of Mali by Islamic rebels (among others) who are even now setting up shariah law as Christians flee to the south, east and west.

And yesterday Good Shepherd suffered the death of one of its own--a life long member who endured much in his own life and in the life of Good Shepherd. We miss him very much this morning.

So I let chaos and destruction rein for these few hours as we remember Jesus' death, his body laid in the tomb. It seems that Evil has the upper hand on every side. I let the women weep as Jesus' body is destroyed. I whisper to Satan, do your worst because you only have a few hours before you discover what a huge mistake you've made. Dance your dance because its not going to go according to your plans. All you working evil on the continent of Africa, or here in Binghamton, or anywhere, your undoing lies in the grave, but he isn't going to stay there.

No comments: