Annie Lamott writes, “I hate it that you can’t prove the beliefs of my faith. If I were God, I’d have the answers at the end of the workbook, so you could check as you went along, to see if you’re on the right track. But nooooo—Darkness is our context, Easter’s context; without it you couldn’t see the light. Hope is not about proving anything. It’s about choosing to believe this one thing, that love is bigger than any grim, bleak [stuff] anyone can throw at us.”
That's what Good about this Friday. It's a reminder that we are Easter people who live in a Good Friday world. And sometimes it feels like Good Friday is going to win--sometimes life feels pretty freakin' dark. Amazingly, painfully, horribly dark. But you know what? Good Friday isn't the end of the story. Death doesn't win. Darkness doesn't win. Light wins. Life wins. Love wins.
So here's a reminder (another thought from Anne Lamott) as you step into this dark, holy day:
"When I was 38, my best friend, Pammy, died, and we went shopping about two weeks before she died, and she was in a wig and a wheelchair. I was buying a dress for this boyfriend I was trying to impress, and I bought a tighter, shorter dress than I was used to. And I said to her, 'Do you think this makes my hips look big?' and she said to me, so calmly, 'Anne, you don't have that kind of time.' And I think Easter has been about the resonance of that simple statement; and that when I stop, when I go into contemplation and meditation, when I breathe again and do the sacred action of plopping and hanging my head and being done with my own agenda, I hear that, 'You don't have that kind of time,' you have time only to cultivate presence and authenticity and service, praying against all odds to get your sense of humor back."
It's Good. And it's Friday. So pray. Cry if you need to. Plop down. Hang your head. Breathe. And remember that the darkness of this day isn't the end of the story...there's more light and life to break through. Stay tuned...
Comments