Good Friday

It was not a gentle, cosy scene

of pastel-coloured calm

where quiet exchanges saved us.

Nor a handshake place,

where deals were dealt

and everyone left happy.

No.

It was a time of rage and cruelty,

when justice fled,

and innocent blood was shed.

It was a dark and deadly place,

the sun obscured at noon

as the earth quaked.

Good?

Could this Friday be Good,

when evil reigned

over innocence?

Could this death be Good,

this agony downplayed,

this seeming failure glorified?

Oh yes!

For good was done that day.

A way was made for us

to be restored.

For us the unachievable,

to stand in purity,

before our God.

The flawless one became

the perfect intervention,

His life for our salvation.

It was a Good Friday.

Ellen Carr 2023