On this Good Friday, it is worth noting that Christ’s words on the cross come from Psalm 22 and 31. This was not the first time Jesus quoted scripture. When he was tempted in the wilderness, he answered every one of Satan’s assaults by quoting passages from Deuteronomy. And while he was carrying the cross down the Via Delarosa, he cited Hosea. He was so saturated in the Word of God that it flowed from him quite matter-of-factly.
Speaking of Good Friday: Only in the U.S. is Good Friday called Good Friday. Elsewhere it is called God’s Friday, Holy Friday, Passion Friday, Sorrowful Friday, Long Friday, or Friday of the Lament. In other words, it’s called somber things, not “good.” Calling it Good Friday is a very American spin on it. Of course, the fact that “He made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” does make it a very good day for us.
Slowing Down and Reflecting: In spite of virtually everything on my calendar being removed, I remain busy. This means I must still fight for every minute of reflection. How about you? Some of you have family or professional responsibilities that have you busier than before. Others have been given quite a bit of free time. My point is that just because you have free time does not mean you will automatically slide into spiritual reflection. The Bible calls us to “discipline ourselves for godliness” and to “work out our salvation.” We do not fall into spiritual maturity any more than we fall into shape.
More Thoughts About Isolation: While I am on the topic of leveraging any newly found downtime, let me note that Alec Hill—the past President of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, an author cited in earlier Friday Updates, and a two-time cancer survivor who recently preached at Christ Church—recently wrote about his year in isolation. His reflections are available in this piece.
Hallelujah: COVID has me appreciating science and scientists, both those providing frontline medical care and those toiling away in labs and libraries trying to find a cure. But for reasons not entirely clear to me, COVID also has me appreciating art and beauty. By definition, art is something we value even though it has no utility. And yet in times like these, we need art, music, and beauty more than ever. This virtual choir singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” falls into the category of beautiful for me. For what it’s worth, I have yet to understand Cohen’s song. I initially assumed it was a “Christian song” because of the term “Hallelujah,” but the more I listened to it, the more I suspected he was celebrating doubt rather than faith. This NYT review of a 2012 book written about the song suggests that no one—not even Cohen—understands what it means.
It’s Worth Remembering: Paul is the one who wrote that, “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Paul, the same person who suffered through beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, imprisonments, rejection, hunger, thirst, and homelessness. He is the one who notes that our present trials are “light and momentary sufferings.”
Behind Closed Doors: It’s become popular to say, “We are in this together.” And with all of us social-distancing, sheltering-in-place, Zooming and face-masking, it does feel that way. But my sense is that people are having very different experiences behind closed doors. Some may be describing this forced recess as boring but mostly stress-free. Others are in free fall. It’s worth noting: 1) some cities in China are now reporting record-high divorce rates 2) alcohol sales in the U.S. are way up (243% online and 55% over the counter) 3) U.S. rates of porn-consumption and domestic violence are up. As I noted, not everyone does sheltering-in-place well.
Living and Leading in an Age of Anxiety: On Wednesday, April 15 at 7 PM (CT) I am interviewing Yale Professor, Dr. Nii Addy, on the topic, “Living and Leading in an Anxious Age: A Discussion on Faith and Resiliency.“ Dr. Addy is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Cellular and Molecular Physiology at the Yale School of Medicine. In addition to serving as a professor, Dr. Addy directs a federally funded research program investigating the neurobiological bases of substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. And as a Christ-follower, he also encourages audiences to embrace the use of holistic, integrated, and God-given tools to address mental health challenges. You can sign up here for the link.
The Church is Not a Building: For centuries, churches existed without buildings. In fact, as Jim Dennison recently noted, asking someone in ancient times “where is your church?” would have been like asking them for the physical location of democracy. Earlier this week, the Chicago Tribune published a piece Syler Thomas and I wrote about the church in an era of COVID.
Tim Keller on Resilience and Burnout: Earlier this week, Keller—who previously pastored a church in NYC—gave a talk to pastors based on his experiences post 9/11. He now feels that he pushed too hard and as a result ended up with some burnout. In his comments he encouraged pastors to think longer term and to make sure you “put your own oxygen mask on before you try helping others.” My notes are here.
Closing Prayer: You taught us, Lord, that the greatest love a man can show is to lay down his life for his friends. But your love was greater still, because you laid down your life for your enemies. It was while we were still enemies that you reconciled us to yourself by your death. What other love has ever been, or could ever be, like yours? You suffered unjustly for the sake of the unjust. You died at the hands of sinners for the sake of the sinful. You became a slave to tyrants, to set the oppressed free. Amen. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153)