“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.” Luke 23:44-46
Today, Good Friday, we remember Jesus’ death. It’s a central day in the Christian calendar; because of it we are forgiven, and are able to enter into a relationship with God. The thing about Christianity is that it’s not what we do that makes us righteous, but what God’s done for us. And that’s amazing.
But as Christians we’re not told to sit comfortably, having secured this redemption and forgiveness. Instead, we’re called to show God’s radical love and grace to everyone. One of my favourite parts of Matthew is when Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, and this is how he responds:
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39
It’s not just that we should love God in Church buildings or through liturgy, worship and prayer. Loving God means loving our neighbour; the people who live next door; the people who are homeless in our towns; the people who are living in extreme poverty around our world.
Because of Jesus’ death, God lives in us and we take part in his mission and adventure. When God lives in us, we become passionate about the things he’s passionate about. We want to share his message, really love others and strive for justice across the world.
The Christian Aid Collective is a growing community of people who want to end poverty. Jesus spent time with the poor and marginalised and told us to do likewise. So we’re investing our energy into speaking up for those who don’t have a voice. We’re challenging the injustice that’s around us and believing that we can make a difference. We’re not content to sit comfortably because Jesus didn’t.
This Good Friday we should take time to reflect on what Jesus has done for us. But perhaps we should also think about what we can do next. How can we show the extent of God’s love? How can we love our neighbours around the world? How can we challenge injustice today?
We invite you to join us on our journey.
Jo is interning for our friends @TheCAcollective. You can follow her on twitter here; @Joanna_Cal Find out what you can do right now in a minute, hour or longer on our website.
