The Work of Good Friday

It has been a long time since I had to work on Good Friday.  But in a few hours, I go to the office.  I will continue with the week's work:  reassembling binders, getting the room ready for the accreditation visit, observing a faculty member who is new--I hope that she remembers that we do not have Good Friday off.

I'm usually travelling on Good Friday or preparing to travel--I often go on a retreat that happens the week-end after Easter, and I leave on the Tuesday or Wednesday after Easter.  Again, this year, I'm staying put.  It's too close to the accreditation visit for me to feel OK about a multi-state trip, and I have no vacation time earned at this point.

Journeys on Good Friday make a sort of sense, as the Good Friday narrative is one of journeying from one world to the next.  Jesus would experience a time out of time that many of us never will--but travel gives us a taste of that.

This morning, I got up early to take my sister and nephew to the airport--lots of people are travelling today.  Now I will do some laundry and go to the grocery store to buy a few items for the week-end.  Later today, I'll go to Good Friday evening service with my spouse and parents. 

I will miss the Good Fridays that I've had in the past:  time with friends or helping with a midday service or a walk in the labyrinth.  But I will try to stay alert through the day for God breaking through into the world.  I am not the only one who has to work today, after all.