Still Good

  By: Lauren Thomas

I remember as a child failing to understand why they call it “Good” Friday. How could it be good if Jesus died. Of course, the irony is that Jesus’ death was good for us in that it provided atonement, or cleansing from sin.

 

But I know it couldn’t have felt good, on that day, for Jesus’ friends. In fact, the day following must have felt like the worst kind of terrible. What grief and confusion and doubt and disappointment and anger and sadness and disillusionment they must have felt.

 

God’s definition of “good” doesn’t always feel good as it’s being worked out. The first Good Friday and the first Holy Saturday must have felt far from good. And yet, it resulted in the best kind of goodness we could ever imagine: redemption and the promise of restoration, the happy ending creation has been longing for since sin entered in.

 

*Trigger warning* In a labor and delivery triage at just 14 weeks pregnant, I was told by a doctor that I was having an inevitable miscarriage. After the doctor left the room, I turned to my husband and said, “God is still good.” That moment marked the beginning of a long road: the testing of that assertion of faith. My pregnancy miraculously continued, until emergency c-section at 24 weeks 3 days. We then spent 149 days in the NICU. My baby had lived, but not the way that I would have planned. Though his life was preserved, the experience left me feeling broken. *End warning*

 

Is God still good? Even when it hurts?

 

Yes.

 

Because what Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday have taught me is that if it doesn’t seem good, it’s not over yet. Because the end is always Good.

 

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.””

Revelation 21:3-5 ESV

 

Reflection:

Think of a time when you have questioned God’s goodness. How did you wrestle with your faith? How did you overcome doubt? What does this Holy Weekend teach you about the goodness of God?