Some thoughts on Good Friday

It seems that public safety and military families can perhaps understand the significance of the events of that darkest Friday almost 2000 years ago better than most.  In focusing on God in Christ’s great gift to mankind, my finite human mind is reminded of the admonition of one of my first academy trainers.  Our instructor that day was a veteran officer and detective.  He began his lecture by challenging us to focus our minds on the character in our community for whom we had the least respect.  Then he said simply, “If you’re not willing to take a bullet in defense of that person you are in the wrong room.”

As I focus on the great gift of redemption that God in Christ gave us, I try to be mindful that the gift loses significance if I don’t share the true Good News:  There is a path to reconciliation with our Creator for even the most unredeemable – even me.

In the same manner the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters in public safety and in our military loses impact if we fail to defend the liberty they died to protect.

“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” Jesus Christ, Luke 9.23 (NASB)