Good Friday and the Second Coming

“ What’s so good about it?”

In the ongoing interviews we’ve had with people who report that they can access Jesus, or the frequency of Jesus, or the fellow himself, the comment has come up that “If Jesus returned to see what folks were doing in his memory, it would be celebrating the worst day of his life.”

That may have come from a comedian — but the point is apt.

The guy lives a life of love, loving, being loved, spreading love — and the symbol we use in his honor is from the worst afternoon of his journey. ‘Hi Jesus! Look, I’m wearing your cross!” “Um, that’s not my cross, actually, those Roman fellows made that thing.”

Allow me to be heretical for a moment.

Tiziano Vecellio

To be clear, scholars agree he was on the cross for a day.

Perhaps an afternoon. Scourging aside — there is a sequence of events in his story that can be examined. He’s put on a cross alongside two other fellas who’d been there longer. Perhaps all week long as was the custom.

He’s given some gall — wine mixed with myrrh — by a soldier and a few moments later appears to give up the ghost. (Passes out or is knocked out, it’s a debate.)