Friday 14 April 2017
Good Friday.
‘After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, “It is accomplished”; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.’ John 19:30
This is the absolute end. This is the moment I have been dreading all through Lent as I wait beside my dying beloved. My sense of being loved has deepened, but my fear of losing my beloved has deepened just as much. In the Gospel of John, at the very end of the passion, Jesus seems completely in control of both living and dying. From the cross he calmly arranges care for his Mother and he diligently ensures that Scriptures are being fulfilled. Then, after his death blood and water flow from his pierced heart: the sacrifice is completed and his life giving Spirit is released.
In all the pain and rejection that Jesus has endured I see someone who is as human and vulnerable as I am. In the moment of dying, however, I also see a power of love that transcends death. Tearful, I hold the hand of my dying loved one. I do not know what the future will be. Into your hands, Oh Lord, I give my heart
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