Good Friday Reflections with Rev. Neusom

Good Friday is the day we remember the sacrifice Jesus made of his human self so that he may take the position of the Christ for all of humanity.  It is a template for our own transformation.
Jesus said “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”.  This is a common feeling when our depth of despair is extremely deep and we feel as if something has been taken from us. Jesus leaves a relatively safe area for Jerusalem during the week of Passover, knowing there’s a good chance he’ll die.  He seems to plan this so that he’ll be a transformative example of what is possible.Collectively, we as a human race, are asking how long will this pandemic go on?  It may even feel as if God has forsaken us.  This is an early feeling in the transformation process.

Later, Jesus says “I thirst”.  We thirst for being together again, feeling connected, having a sense of security.  In broader terms, we thirst for a clarity that we are more than our bodies, that we are transcendent.  If we come to know that we are more than our human self, we can handle adversity and challenges better because we know there’s more to us than what we see with our human eyes.
Sometimes suffering can bring us closer to feeling and knowing our true nature.  We look more deeply, explore more earnestly, and give ourselves wholeheartedly to awakening into that true nature.  This is what Jesus did when he said “Into your hands, I commit my spirit”.  When we surrender and commit to feeling, knowing, and fully experiencing who we really are, we open to a transcendent experience of knowing ourselves as the Christ.  As we move away from humanity and towards our divinity, we bring all people with us.  The work we do through surrender and commitment to opening is not just for us, it is for everyone.
We are grateful for Jesus showing us the path.  It is now ours to follow; to awaken with courage, love, and acceptance.  And may we lift others up in doing this work.
Let us know ourselves as The Christ evermore fully and be present to the Divine in each other in every way we can.