Life in the Midst of darkness

Good Friday Reflection
06 April 2012
by Frank J. Hernando
Seoul, Korea

BUHAY SA GITNA NG KADILIMAN

Life in the Midst of Darkness
John 18:1 - 19:42

It was a cold sleepless night for Jesus and his disciples from the upper room where they had the dinner, to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus had his final prayers and come to grips with the reality of human suffering and death. Then the arrest out of betrayal, the trial before the Jewish Temple court followed by the trial at Pilate's Palace with the mob participating. The choice for death was not Barabas but Jesus the Nasarene who claimed king of Jews and has a kingdom of his own.

The reasons for such for the choice of the mob, the hand washing of Pilate and the persistence of the Jewish high priests are not that simple. It is complex and convoluted. Denials of the possibility for change were there for the imperial power of Rome. The empire was losing it's hold on the people, the moment Pilate release Jesus, he will be a traitor to the Roman Emperor. There was the corruption of the Jewish rituals and theological inconsistencies between the printed Torah and the ethical standards prevailing at that time. There was the misdirected anger and impertnence of the mob.

The fourth Gospel or that of John tells the story of the crucifixion of Jesus with affectionate tone. The first is ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. This is loaded with affection such as love and empathy to family and friends. Nobody can stand the extent of violence, hatred and humiliation inflicted that unravelled before them.

The second is, "I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. The third is, "It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Their tears and sorrows could not stop the bleeding from his brows, the oozing of water and blood from his sides, hands and feet. Tortuous and inminent death on the cross.

The death of Jesus is supposedly the last death that must have occured in human history. But no, even those who know and stand on the precepts and ethics of Christianity continue to kill people both at gunpoint and through systemic oppressive and unjust social systems. Jesus' kingdom has remained hidden, if not violated by the modern empires and governments of our world today. However the cross is not just a symbolism of conquest of death but LIFE giving life, freedom and peace.

Let me share with you this beautiful acapella music with the lyrics below. I like most these lines:
If you open your eyes, night opens doors of musk,
The secret kingdom of the water opens
Flowing from the center of the night.
---------000-----------
Water Night
by Eric Whitacre

Night with the eyes of a horse that trembles in the night,
Night with eyes of water in the field asleep
Is in your eyes, a horse that trembles is in
Your eyes of secret water.

Eyes of shadow-water,
Eyes of well-water,
Eyes of dream-water.

Silence and solitude,
Two little animals moon-led,
Drink in your eyes,
Drink in those waters.

If you open your eyes, night opens doors of musk,
The secret kingdom of the water opens
Flowing from the center of the night.

And if you close your eyes,
A river, a silent and beautiful current, fills you from within,
Flows forward, darkens you:

Night brings its wetness to beaches in your soul.

Video on youtube:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V3rRaL-Czxw