Long haired
preachers come out every night
try to tell you
what’s wrong and what's right
But when asked how
‘bout something to eat
They will answer
in voices so sweet
Chorus
You will eat, bye
and bye
in the glorious
land above the sky
work and pray,
live on hay
you’ll get pie in
the sky when you die
Joe Hill 1911
Some years ago
Christian Aid came up with the slogan “ I believe in life before death” The
allure of pie in the sky when you die has never really done it for me. What the
world needs, what I need to day is healing, is reconciliation of all that denies
life and fragments life leading to a purposeless life. What I crave for is life
before I die.
To have my life
restored, healed, mended means that I have to acknowledge that it is broken, I
am lost, I am ill at ease.
Good Friday is a
day when we have to confront the painful truth that our lives are broken, that
we can not live pain free, it is a false illusion to believe that nothing bad
will happen to me, or those around me simply because I believe in God.
Good Friday offers
at its heart an amnesty not amnesia, hope not pretense.
We have to look
upon the cross, we have to behold the cross on which hung the savior of the
world if we are going to be able to start the healing in our own lives.
There is so much
that distracts us from this demand, that encourages us to avert our eyes or
shield ourselves from the glare of this terror – just as a pair of sun glasses
protect us from the harsh glare of the sun.
The story of our
life will be the story of our life permanently, this is not a dress rehearsal,
we only get one life but we do not have a time limited offer on forgiveness,
healing or restoration.
Good Friday is
God’s statement that is as powerful and eternal as the first word spoken so
long ago “let there be light”. The eternal word of God now speaks “Father forgive”. These words are not words that seek to deny
the reality of life, the brutality of the Romans soldiers who drive nails
through flesh, the betray of love that leads to denial and the cry “Crucify”
These are not air brushed from history or from our identity and the reality
that we live, but the words of Jesus on the cross “Father forgive” ensure that
our lives can be healed, restored and reconciled.
God doesn’t take away
the kinks and twists or the hurt and humiliation, he does not airbrush out the
wrinkles or paper over the crack. What he does through the cross and
resurrection is take away from us the guilt and the fear, so that we can start
again and life in hope.
Grace is
forgiveness we can’t earn. Grace is the weeping father who looks out from his
security and home to long and distant road looking for his lost son.
Grace is tragedy
accepted with open arms and somehow turned to good.
Grace is what the
wasteful death on Golgotha did.
In a moment we
will come and kneel, bow, or simply stand at the foot of the cross and draw
from this broken bleeding, despised and rejected figure strength and hope for
this life, for the journey that is ours, for the decisions we need to make
today.
As we stand, kneel
or bow, before the Saviour of the world who for us hung upon a cross we find
acceptance, forgiveness and healing for all that denies life – our life and the
life of those around us.
Most people think
Great God will come
from the skies
take away
everything
and make everybody
feel high
but if you know
what life is worth
you will look for
yours on earth
and now you will
see the light
You stand up for
your rights.
Bob Marley 1973
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