Good Friday Thought

"Compassion means to become close to the one who suffers. But we can come close to another person only when we are willing to become vulnerable ourselves. A compassionate person says: 'I am your brother; I am your sister; I am human, fragile, and mortal, just like you. I am not scandalized by your tears, nor afraid of your pain...'" Henri Nouwen

Today leads us to the cross at Calvary, where a man was crucified. He was tortured, mocked, and severely beaten before he died. His last words were “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” We outlined earlier the progression of imago Dei -We are made in the ‘imago Dei’ (Latin for “image of God”). If you recall, ‘imago Dei’ is not something we do; it is something we are. It is our essence. It is our soul. It will never cease to exist. When Jesus, gasping for air in the 9th hour of this agonizing, slow death march, realized his body was expiring, committed his ‘imago Dei’, his essence, his spirit, his soul, over to his father. He would soon soar above his captors, freeing him from their cruelty to experience the new life that awaited him in heaven. But, his job was not yet finished. He would return in a bodily form 3 days later to reconnect with his disciples. The most important task lie ahead. The spirit inside each disciple would be awakened. They would soon be given a helper in their lives that would help them minister to the many lost souls that did not understand the meaning of their lives.

Has God spoken to you lately about the meaning of your life? Just because you receive the Holy Spirit when you believe, does not mean the Holy Spirit has your attention. He is there, inside of you. Have you chosen to let Him be a part of your life? Do you understand that you are a fragile, mortal being that will soon expire? Have you chosen a path that will let you minister to those in need or are you serving only yourself? This is the message of Easter. Be filled with the Spirit. Let God speak to you. Do the work of an evangelist. Make Christians. If you do not go out, you will die out. If your circle of friends are not insulted by your commitment to heavenly values and standard of conduct, then are you really allowing ‘imago Dei’ to flourish or are you hiding it? It is your essence. It is supposed to be who you are!

Your thought for Good Friday.