good friday...

i would be remiss to let this day go by without special mention.

today is Good Friday. it is the day that Christians (and Catholics) observe the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, which occured, as the Bible says, to give believers amnesty from past sins.

when i was a child, i was briefly a part of the Awana program through a local church. i remember only a little... wednesday night meetings.. my special vest and the patches i earned... crafts and songs... but the one thing that has stuck with me my entire life, even when i was not a believer, and even though i was raised outside of the church, is memorizing a verse which still runs through my mind on command today:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

i was far too young to understand it. i'm sure it was explained to me, as we explain verses to our own group of kids in kids' church. the explanation didn't stick with me. but the verse did. and as i grew up, and my understanding of the circa-1600 vernacular grew, my understanding of the verse grew too.

this verse pretty much "sums up" the Christian faith. it doesn't address all of the deep, thoughtful questions that a believer - or a doubter - might have. it just sums up. today, it sums up my faith. it sums up the meaning of this day.

hindsight is 20/20. i do not mourn the death of my Savior today as His death was mourned by His followers some 1973 years ago. they did not see then what we see now. they did not know that in three days, a miracle would take place that would confirm our beliefs, and validate Christ's identity as the Son of God. so, today, i do not mourn. i simply anticipate. there is no resurrection without death. today marks the day of His death, making complete our celebration of His ressurection.m