A Brit a Day [#56]

Henry Ian Cusick played the part of Jesus Christ in 'The Gospel of John.'

As I tell my friends and my kids--other family would not want to hear this--Christianity is my culture, but a lifetime of experiences has not shown me that Christianity celebrates/reflects/informs my spirituality. However, I do take Easter very seriously, not in the sense that I take it literally, but in the sense that if you are going to acknowledge that there are Christians in your midst, then you also have to acknowledge that Easter is their holiest of days. Without Easter, simply, there is no reason for any other holy day in Christianity.

Tomorrow is the day we celebrate the death of a man named Jesus. Celebrate?? Hold on here. My mom volunteered as church secretary when I was a kid, and she was at the desk in the church office when I asked her to explain what on earth was good about Good Friday. I think I was eight. Without hesitating she stood up and said, 'Let's go talk to Katherine.' Katherine was a lay-minister and an ex-missionary and a wonderful dinner guest with tales of Africa in her repertoire and a woman with a teacher's nurturing soul. I don't remember her worlds, but I do remember she made me feel pretty okay about the whole thing. I don't think I said it out loud, but I at least thought as I left her office, 'But I can call it Black Friday if I want, right?'

I have always kept, then, that human connection to the Friday before Easter. It is a day to wallow in 'what if's' for me. It is a day to wonder if We The Mortal Population of The Universe killed someone who was somehow better than us. It is a day to wonder if a really, really good normal person was humiliated and killed unjustly. It is a day to wonder what would have happened if he had not been.

Enjoy this beautiful hand. And happy Easter.