The crucifixion story challenges us as we read the events because we can see our own shared humanity in the personalities of the people around Jesus. As children of God, we still have the capacity, intentionally or unintentionally, to mock, humiliate, deny, betray, ignore, inflict cruelty, and give into crowds. We feel embarrassed, maybe even guilty, when we stop and think about who we can be. We want to avoid the discomfort; disassociate with the part we play—the fact that we can choose poorly and be influenced by evil. It’s scary and disquieting that we could cause harm and separate ourselves from God in ways that show anything but love.

But I think it is for this very reason that we need to visit this story annually. Richard Rohr reminds us that “the [pain] we don’t transform, we will transmit.”[1] In reliving the Passion story, it forces us to process both pain we hold and pain we are tempted to transmit. It forces us to work through what might be lurking in the shadows of our souls. The cross sheds light on the darkness within and allows us to work through the pain that needs transforming. It is difficult and courageous work! But when we process the pain, confess our sinfulness, give it all to God at the foot of the cross, accept forgiveness and Divine Love, we can be made new. “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). That’s what transformation is all about!

Journeying to the cross creates sacred space for newness, goodness, humility, connection, compassion, and relationship. In the shared experience of the cross, we experience the pain, but we also share in new life together. May God bless your Good Friday in transformational ways!