The journey through Lent into Easter is a walk with Jesus. Holy Week, the final eight days of Jesus’ life, starts off with the pomp and circumstance of Palm Sunday as Jesus rides into Jerusalem. It is followed by days of sad, painful reflection, saying good-bye, betrayal and death, and then ending with triumph on Easter.
Good Friday is one of those emotionally charged days. Of course, one can ignore the sad days and just celebrate Palm Sunday and Easter. But to ignore Good Friday and its significance robs one of understanding the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus… his act of love and selflessness that is the foundation of our Christian belief and the hope of resurrection.
Just yesterday someone said to me, “I don’t understand Good Friday. There is nothing good about it. It hurts too much and if God is as compassionate and loving as we say He is, why doesn’t He just make all evil, death and sickness go away??” Without skipping a beat, she continued, “And yes, I know God gave his only son for us and all ‘that.’ And God is with always with us, but why does He allow bad things to happen? Just look at what is happening in our world today! We are suffering and will die from it, just like Jesus.”
Indeed, just look at what is happening in our world today.
- Climate change and its associated impacts.
- The global health crises – with statistics issued by American Cancer Society stating in its 2025 annual report that four cancers have rising death rates.
- Food insecurity, homelessness.
- The widening gap between the rich and the poor.
- Our current administration is gutting services, raising prices, slashing life-saving programs. DEI programs are being terminated, legal protections for our LGBTQ community are weakened. Our markets have been manipulated, crashing the dollar and the bond markets. Migrants and immigrants are deported in alarming numbers, without due process.
We’ve all had our fill of this news. Even though we make conscious efforts not to watch news or follow social media, we can’t get away from the chaos, confusion, and abuse of power. Tens of millions of people are resisting, praying unceasingly, boycotting retailers, contacting our representatives and fighting back in peaceful protests.
Regardless of how much we cry out, the just, fair, inclusive and free America that many of us cherish — the world full of opportunity where dreams come true — is suffering a slow, painful death.
Death confronts us on Good Friday — the death of our beloved Jesus unjustly condemned and who dies horribly at a young age. No amount of praying or lamenting will change the immediate outcome for our loved One. The soldiers crucify Jesus but that does not mean his prayers went unheard or were not answered. Even in his most abandoned state, Jesus knew that God was in charge.
For those of us who grieve over the world’s suffering, no amount of praying or lamenting for it to end will change the immediate outcome for our beloved country. Things will continue to change in its hostile and destructive trajectory. Innocent people will suffer and die. But that does not mean our prayers go unheard or won’t be answered. Even in our most abandoned state, we know that God is in charge.
Good Friday is a stark reminder that suffering and death are part of the human experience. In this darkest moment of despair lies the promise of redemption. Our prayers may not change the immediate pain we see in the world, but they play a vital role in a divine narrative that will ultimately culminate in love and renewal.
The Rev. Deacon Loretta Go
