Good Friday: Seven Hours, Seven Words

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty
Holy and Immortal

JESUS SAID:

Father,
Forgive them,
for they know not what they do.

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty
Holy and Immortal

Roman nails are long, iron and ugly.
The thought of them going into flesh is pretty gruesome.

Jesus first words are to forgive ignorance.
I guess the theory is that every time we show greed, pride, ignorance, judgement, take away someone's reputation -
we might as well be driving the nails in.
The nails go in between the two arm bones. near the wrist. There's a fleshy bit there. Feel it for yourself, press a little, you'll notice that your hand curls toward you. There's a big nerve in there too..

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty
Holy and Immortal

JESUS SAID:

Today you will be with me in Paradise

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty
Holy and Immortal

So you are hanging from these two nails in your arms,
and to breathe you have to raise yourself by those arms and the nails.
Maybe it helps to be able to lever your weight off your feet. But of course there is a nail between the bones of your ankles too, and your legs are twisted.

There's another thought : you need to breathe to speak.
So, the thief who mocked him needed to expend a lot of energy to open his mouth and do so.

So did the other thief. I always seem to imagine those words like this:
Lord (heave and breathe) remember me (heave)
when you come (heave) into your kingdom.

Okay, it's morbid, lets not think about it too much .. it sometimes took days to die. And if you didn't think about it, you didn't breathe.

Death by asphyxia. Only a few hours.

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

JESUS SAID

Woman,
behold your Son.

Son, behold your Mother.

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty
Holy and Immortal

Not a lot of privacy.

Three women near the cross. One of them his mother:
Stand strong under the cross. Where are the men ?

John. John is still there.

This is real passion. No secrets. No loin cloth. Grief, pain and death.

Flies.

His mother watches them gambling for possession of a garment she wove for her son with love.
A frail, nervy woman, more abused than most watches the man, who forgave and healed her, bleeding, bruised and mocked.
An elderly woman with him, with them. No need to ask what the neighbours will think. The neighbours are telling them.

For us ? Here is our Son. In the abused fragility of a human being tortured as part of a principle. A political and social necessity. Such a lot that is real is 'outside' the city walls. Do we go out to look?

And yes, here is our mother. The woman who stands well..at the heart of her own horror, watching her beautiful boy .. what worse can they do to herthan they are doing ?

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

JESUS SAID

My God, My God,
why hast thou forsaken me?

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

JESUS SAID

I thirst.

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

JESUS SAID

It is finished

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

Sometimes
There isn't a lot to say.
The depth of the experience,
The sense of loss,
The abandonment
The pain
the agony..
still not more than love can bear.

The moment of completion, an inner knowledge
beyond any thing we have even a shadow or hint of.

It is over.
The pain is not gone,
The agony not over,
No rescue is at hand, save through the agony of his arms, his abrasions,
and the loving heart-rent strength of his friends.

But not just over, ended, turned away from.

Finished.

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

JESUS SAID

Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit.

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty

Holy and Immortal

His life,
complete
gift

given.

The reverse image
of the face in The Shroud of Turin

Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal JESUS SAID: Father, Forgive them, for they know not what they do. Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal	Roman nails are long, iron and ugly. The thought of them going into flesh is pretty gruesome. Jesus first words are to forgive ignorance. I guess the theory is that every time we show greed, pride, ignorance, judgement, take away someone's reputation - we might as well be driving the nails in. The nails go in between the two arm bones. near the wrist. There's a fleshy bit there. Feel it for yourself, press a little, you'll notice that your hand curls toward you. There's a big nerve in there too..
Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal JESUS SAID: Today you will be with me in Paradise Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal	So you are hanging from these two nails in your arms, and to breathe you have to raise yourself by those arms and the nails. Maybe it helps to be able to lever your weight off your feet. But of course there is a nail between the bones of your ankles too, and your legs are twisted. There's another thought : you need to breathe to speak. So, the thief who mocked him needed to expend a lot of energy to open his mouth and do so. So did the other thief. I always seem to imagine those words like this: Lord (heave and breathe) remember me (heave) when you come (heave) into your kingdom. Okay, it's morbid, lets not think about it too much .. it sometimes took days to die. And if you didn't think about it, you didn't breathe. Death by asphyxia. Only a few hours.
Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal JESUS SAID Woman, behold your Son. Son, behold your Mother. Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal	Not a lot of privacy. Three women near the cross. One of them his mother: Stand strong under the cross. Where are the men ? John. John is still there. This is real passion. No secrets. No loin cloth. Grief, pain and death. Flies. His mother watches them gambling for possession of a garment she wove for her son with love. A frail, nervy woman, more abused than most watches the man, who forgave and healed her, bleeding, bruised and mocked. An elderly woman with him, with them. No need to ask what the neighbours will think. The neighbours are telling them. For us ? Here is our Son. In the abused fragility of a human being tortured as part of a principle. A political and social necessity. Such a lot that is real is 'outside' the city walls. Do we go out to look? And yes, here is our mother. The woman who stands well..at the heart of her own horror, watching her beautiful boy .. what worse can they do to herthan they are doing ?
Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal	JESUS SAID My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal	JESUS SAID I thirst.
Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal JESUS SAID It is finished Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal	Sometimes There isn't a lot to say. The depth of the experience, The sense of loss, The abandonment The pain the agony.. still not more than love can bear. The moment of completion, an inner knowledge beyond any thing we have even a shadow or hint of. It is over. The pain is not gone, The agony not over, No rescue is at hand, save through the agony of his arms, his abrasions, and the loving heart-rent strength of his friends. But not just over, ended, turned away from. *Finished*.
Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal JESUS SAID Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Holy God, Holy and Mighty Holy and Immortal	His life, complete gift given.