Good Friday Musings

 We are in the home stretch of Holy Week.  Today is "good" Friday.  I always think, well, it wasn't so "good" for Jesus, was it?  To be crucified has to be probably one of the most horrific ways to be killed.  I believe the word "excruciating" has the same root.  But, as usual I digress.

As I often do on Good Friday and Easter in general, I think about my childhood exposure to Christianity and the problems I have with it.  I gave up going to church when I realized that 

A:  The Baptists were trying to scare you into being good

B:  The hypocrisy was overwhelming.  They would pray piously in the chapel and gossip mean-girl style the minute they cleared the threshold. 

I consider myself a Christian, but I don't follow any set path ( I incorporate a good deal of Eastern Philosophy in my beliefs)

But here is what I posted on FB yesterday:

 Here, on Maundy Thursday, I wonder if the Christian Nationalists will be reading and internalizing the commandment of Jesus to his followers:

"A new commandment I give to you,

that you love one another:

just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.”

Jesus

New Testament - John 13:34

Probably not- they seem to interpret Jesus command as selective- Love people ONLY if they look like you, think like you, vote like you, worship like you.

As we approach the most sacred of our holidays- honestly "The War on Christmas" and all that blather from Fox News really irks me, because while Christmas is nice and all it is really EASTER that defines the faith- I wonder what Jesus himself would have thought about all of this. Since I recall him flipping tables at the Temple, I can't imagine he would be pleased about the current state of American Christianity.

It's one reason that I don't actually GO to church, but still follow a moderate form of Christianity ( basically I try to love people and understand them as best I can. I suppose that is what the commandment meant to me)

As we approach Easter, if you think of yourself as a Christian, ask yourself if you have let hate creep in to your day-to-day and maybe re-evaluate what Jesus asked that we do.

A post from my niece about Judas got me thinking about Judas.

Why are we taught to hate him, to be angry about him?

Think about it.

IF as we are taught in Sunday School, Jesus was sent here by God to redeem our sins by dying and rising again ( and yeah I have some issues with that) then wasn't Judas just doing his part in God's plan? How can you be angry when the whole thing needed to happen and Judas was just the catalyst? I read somewhere in my rather eclectic biblical travels, that Jesus and Judas worked it out between them and Jesus asked Judas to do it. He was thought to be Jesus' best friend. He could not take the guilt that was laid on him by the rest of the Crew and killed himself. Maybe Jesus should have let them ALL in on the plan.

As the saying goes "I ain't mad at ya"

AS we approach our most holy time, I find it interesting that the Christian Nationals are doubling down on hate and racism. I think Jesus' command to us is being ignored