By Brittany Longsdorf of Brighton, Massachusetts, USA
Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases, yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was sounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.
Good Friday
A lovely ecumenical tradition that many college chapels and churches offer every year on Good Friday is a service centered on the last words of Christ. In the different gospel narratives these seven pronouncements cover several topics including forgiveness (Luke 23:34), hope for reunion in paradise (Luke 23:43), and deep theological questioning (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34).
Perhaps the phrase that always tugs at my heart the most is “I’m thirsty.” The phrase uttered by an exhausted Jesus in the Gospel of John comes just after Jesus connects his communities, his mother, and family to his disciples, and just before his final breath of release, uttering, “It is finished.” “I’m thirsty” reveals to us the full embodiment of Christ; it shows us how very human his body truly is. His basic needs to be fed, watered, comforted are the same as our needs. This primordial desire to be quenched of thirst, cried from the cross by Jesus, connects our very bodies to his in a profound way.
Barbara Brown Taylor in her book An Altar in the World talks about the practice of wearing skin: how our very basic bodily struggles and needs connect us to one another—connect us to all of humanity. Taylor writes that wearing skin, “is what we have most in common with one another” (42). Before the mystery and divinity of the Resurrection, Jesus is fully in his skin as a hurting, thirsty member of the human family. He is in common with us; we are a part of one bodily communion. This Good Friday, “I’m thirsty” reminds us that Jesus is not simply for us but is with us. Together we share in the work of the world and the call to bring hope, peace, and equality to all.
Prayer Phrase
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes…” (Revelation 21:4).
Spiritual Practice
Healing for Broken Spirits
Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.