| March 25, 2005 At Saint Mark Church in Norman, OK Isaiah 52:13-53:12 + Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9 + John 18:1-19:42 “And God said: “It is good.” There was a formless void. There was darkness, and there was water With these images, the writer of Genesis gives us God’s first word. “And God said: 11it is good.” Encouraged by those images, and formed in that word, we look at the scene John has put before us. It was chaotic and forri11ess: The darkness is there always in contest with the light. The water is there – from six stone water jars in Cana to a well in Samaria. From Pilot’s wash basin to a lance-opened wound in the side of Christ. And God looked at it all and spoke again: “It is good.” But what is good about an dead innocent man betrayed by friends, abandoned by those closest to him, rejected by those who should have known better? What is good about an execution Roman style? What is good about ambition, jealousy, and torture? What is good about choosing a murderer over a healer? Nothing at all. These are not the things that make this day Good. In themselves, they are enough to make it “Guilty Friday” or “Gruesome Friday ” Left to ourselves, it would better be called: “Bad Friday” or “Shame Friday ” But this day is not about us and what we can do to one another, to the innocent, and to good people.\ This day is about God. It is God who makes this day Good, and the best we can do is acknowledge it and be glad. This day is more than holy It is Good because God looks at the mess we have made, and God speaks again. The same Spirit that moved over the waters of chaos at the beginning moves over the chaos of our sinfulness. The same Spirit that moved over the formless void moves over the void of our failures over the darkness of our shame, and once again it creation time! Once again God looks and says that it is good! It is not good that we kill, not good that the innocent suffer not good that we betray the prophets among us not good that power is abused but it is good because out of all this God can create again what He promised at the beginning. And so because we know what God can do with a bit chaos and darkness, we look at the Passion of Christ and see more than destruction and death. We see what power there is in Love – God’s love for His only Son. We are the object of that Love: a love that is steadfast, everlasting, unimaginable, and all embracing. No matter.what chaos we make-of God’s creation or. o matter how much death we bring and suffering we cause, . God’s Love looks upon us all, and the divine voice speaks again that word of blessing: “It is good.” It is good to be here. It is good to be children of God. It is good to hear the Gospel. It is good to be redeemed and raised up.It is good to be forgiven and forgiving. It is good to be holy, washed, anointed, and enlightened. It is good to remember, to give thanks, to be sorry, to be touched by God and to touch the cross. It is a good day It is a Good Friday |