The calendar says it's Good Friday. I know it is somewhere.
Don't get me wrong, things for me are fine. I have no reason to think I won't have a good Friday. Or you either.
It's the day Christians observe the crucifiction of Jesus for those of you who just landed. At one time it was known as Black Friday but Christian merchants determined that moniker was much better suited for boosting sales.
So Good Friday it is.
But this Easter weekend, in this country, too many professed believers ignore the very words Christ died for. They can recite the ten commandments but can't even pronounce beatitude much less repeat one of them. On this fateful week, they'd have cheered Pilate and chosen Barabbas, too.
The depressing part of that is a lot of them probably don't even know who Barabbas was.
That feels like a pretty bleak sentiment. I don't like it. It's spring for god's sake! That's not the right way to go into this weekend which is about renewal of life, the rising son.
See what I did there?
I know what you're thinking. Wait a minute SJ, you don't go to church. You don't believe that stuff. Why do you even care about Easter?
To that I'd say you're right. I don't go to church except for funerals and weddings. If you have to believe there's only one club that gets salvation, whatever that is, then it's not for me.
I believe if there's salvation, there are multiple ways to get there. God doesn't care what religion you follow, just whether you're a good human. But if you're looking for salvation, there's no better map than trying to live the words in red. Jesus was trying to make us good humans, not good Christians.
On Easter weekend, too many Americans need to be reminded if there is any divinity in this country, it's because we respect and honor all of humanity's religious practices, not just one. Freedom of religion used to be one of the things we celebrated. Freedom and diversity.
So while everyone is getting their colorful easter outfits and baskets and egg hunts together, I hope you remember all those bright colors honor the season, the brightness of fresh blooms, the variations of faces sitting in the pews.
Everyone is welcome on Easter Sunday. Remember?
What I believe in my heart is if the preacher at whatever Christian church has been leaning on the beatitudes in sermons, that church is probably serving its purpose. If the preacher puts all his energy on the 10 commandments, they've probably missed the path. They're more interested in politics than service.
But what do I know?
I'm just another American wondering what the hell happened. That's why I care about Easter. This weekend is a time of wonderful memories for me and I, like many, really wonder if we've lost what mattered. Are memories all we'll have left?
The calendar says it's Good Friday. I'm going to go with it. It's Friday and that's always good. May your Easter be blessed.