^*^GOOD FRIDAY -THIS SOMBRE DAY WHEN CHRISTIANS MOURN A 2,000 YEAR OLD DEATH^*^

^*^HE DIED, SOME SAY, TO APPEASE A VENGEFUL GOD,
DEMANDING A ONE-TIME CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
FOR HUMAN SIN,BOTH PAST AND YET TO COME.
IT WAS, THEY INSIST,THE ONLY WAY
WE COULD BE SAVED^*^

^*^OTHERS ASK IS THIS THE SAME GOD WHO SAID "THOU SHALL NOT KILL"NOW OFFERING HIS SON AS A SACRIFICIAL LAMB TO BE SLAIN
FOR OUR SALVATION?^*^

^*^YET OTHERS SAY HE DIED BECAUSE HE LOVED TOO MUCH -
LOVED THE OUTCAST,THE SINNER, THE SICK,
THE POOR, THE OPPRESSED^*^

^*^AS HE HUNG THERE BLEEDING, DYING, SOME HEARD HIM SAY: "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM...THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO. "IS THIS WHAT MADE
THAT BAD DAY GOOD?^*^

^*^WHATEVER WE DO, HE HAD SAID, WE DO TO HIM.
AND WE ARE CALLED TO FOLLOW IN THIS WAY.
THUS, IF WE IGNORE ANOTHER'S PAIN
WE SURELY CRUCIFY HIM AGAIN^*^

^*^IT WAS INDEED A BAD FRIDAY,MADE GOOD BECAUSE
IT SHOWS THE WAY TO OUR SALVATION -SALVATION AS LIBERATION. LIBERATION FROM OPPRESSION TO JUSTICE,
FROM WAR TO PEACE,FROM HATE TO LOVE.
AND THIS IS TRULY
RESURRECTION^*^