"Wait without Hope"
A Good Friday Reflection
Today we are funnelled down, down, down into the cosmic darkness, into the nothingness, into the ingathering of all the wrongs of history, all the innocent victims tortured and killed, all the friendships betrayed and loyalties denied, all the corrupt and cowardly leaders, all the violence of the mob, all the women who bear witness at the foot of every crucifying cross where their children and lovers suffer and die. Down, down, down into the darkness.
Today, the omnipotent gods of war and conquest rise up for their final mighty battle, and they win. Onward Christian Soldiers! The tyrants have conquered history. Love was, after all, no match for those who come with hammers and nails, with bombs and guns, with instruments of torture and burning pyres, with machetes and knives, with iron fists and hobnailed boots. The violent powers of religion’s violent gods have triumphed, and love lies bleeding with all the victims of all the tyrants and cowards of all of histories past and histories y…