When Jesus had
received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave
up his spirit. Jn 19:30
At nine o’clock on Good Friday in 2006 the streets of
Manchester city centre were full of people. They were all taking part in The Manchester Passion, a contemporary retelling of the final hours
of Jesus’ life through the music of Manchester. When Jesus broke bread at the last supper the evocative Joy
Division song Love Will Tear Us Apart
echoed around the city centre. The
crowd were brought to despair as the trial, crucifixion and finally Jesus’
death occurred. For a moment there
was nothingness, a sense of injustice whilst the crowd contemplated what had
happened. Then a few moments later
Jesus appeared on top of the town hall, singing I am the Resurrection by the Stone Roses. He had been dead for less than two minutes.
I wonder how much time we spend reflecting on the pain
caused by injustice in our world?
A correct and positive response to injustice is to try and rectify
it. However, to campaign against
injustice must not be at the expense of spending time in empathy with those
suffering. It is noble and
commendable to try to correct the injustice that we see but we must also stand
alongside the people who are suffering, crying with those whose cry, feeling
their hurt, their pain and their sense of injustice. In their despair we see the brokenness of the world and the
brokenness of Christ.
I fear that if we bypass this stage those who suffer become
sacrificial lambs for a more just world. We can easily lose their pain, and by
losing the pain of their suffering we dehumanise both them and ourselves. They become a means to an end.
A consequentialist approach to Jesus’ death can mean that we
try to rush to the future without focusing on the pain and injustice of this
day. There is nothing just about
Good Friday. The brutal killing of
an innocent man can never be just. On Good Friday I refuse to look to the
future, refuse to look for the hope that I know is coming because if I do so
the injustice of the moment is lessened.
This is a day of despair, rejection and death.
This post is part of my contribution to the Favourable Time - Get it here!
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