On Good Friday

pfornale 
A God many believe in
Sacrificed his only son this day.
His son, Almighty made flesh--
Nailed to the very symbol
Of the intersecting planes
Of humanity and divinity--
Burst the bonds of bodily suffering
And loved those who meant him harm.

He lives at the timeless core
Of a faith borne by billions,
The worldly flourishes of which
Whirl in a flashing glare
Of flesh and power,
Dogma and distraction,
Judgment and condemnation.

Whatever divinity be,
By any and all names it be called,
May it pervade our being,
May our souls steep in it,
May we ever seek
The sacred nexus of realms
And life in the heart of truth.

Photo credit: Rudolfo Clix

I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers March 2024 Slice of Life Challenge.

7 thoughts on “On Good Friday”

  1. Paul, a beautiful poem to remind us of the sacredness and sacrifice of this day. I can’t imagine the pain and the suffering – – and the love that it took to do that for all of us. Yours is a lovely poem that makes us think about the Easter season. Not eggs and cute little bunnies, nope.

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  2. Your description of the cross really stood out to me. I have never heard it described this way. “

    Nailed to the very symbol
    Of the intersecting planes
    Of humanity and divinity–

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    1. Thanks for that comment–it is inspired by a remark Joseph Campbell made in The Power of Myth. I do not recall whether he used the word “plane,” but he saw the Cross as a convergence of the temporal and eternal. I found it powerful.

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    2. Thank you for that encouraging remark. The concept comes from Joseph Campbell’s discussion with Bill Moyers in The Power of Myth. I found it powerful.

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  3. Paul, what a moving poem. The Easter Triduum is always my favorite time in the church year because it strips down my beliefs to the core. This year I am struggling a little, but your poem helped me to get a little closer to that core again.

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    1. I miss the Triduum, as I have distanced myself from the church as an institution. I always hope to keep close to the core, however. Thanks for expressing that.

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