Good Friday, 18th April 2025

What to write on such a day in the Church’s calendar? Here I borrow heavily from a piece, kindly shared with me, in which the writer had set out what Easter means to them:

The first Easter feels like a pinnacle moment of history – like a great arch that puts everything that’s gone before in a new light and utterly transforms what lies ahead, somehow making sense of history and of the Bible, of the present, and the future.

The Bible opens and God brings light out of darkness and order out of chaos. That’s what God’s been doing ever since, and I believe it’s what God wants us to do too.

On Good Friday we follow Jesus again, experiencing terrible darkness and chaos. Falsely accused, utterly misunderstood and rejected by people of power, let down by His followers who melt away, convicted and sentenced to a cruel death. Then horror is turned into glory, grief and sadness into great joy.

Easter tells us that even when hitting rock-bottom – especially then – we can know that God is there loving us and understanding what we’re going through first-hand. He will bring light out of darkness. Whether your name is Herod or Hitler, you may be able to do unspeakably wicked things, but you won’t have the last word, because always God is working to bring justice and peace.

The Bible ends with a picture of God wiping away every tear, of glorious joy when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, as they become aware of just how much they are loved and forgiven.

Ruth Allen