Images of Good Friday
Good Friday: “The ancient title for this day–the triumph of the cross–reminds us that the church gathers not to mourn this day but to celebrate Christ’s life-giving passing and to find strength and hope in the tree of life.” -Pastor Shannyn Magee
The following images are from the Mount of Olives, specifically, the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before his arrest. For me, visiting this place was stunning--standing among olive trees where Jesus was betrayed by his disciple, Judas.
The final picture below is from a Lutheran church in Germany, where it is not uncommon to see Christ represented on the cross. Several had large artistic pieces with Jesus shown (as below) with human hair. These were somewhat startling for our touring group from Luther Seminary--as most of us (in Protestant denominations) are more accustomed to have an "empty cross", representing Christ as having risen from the dead.
Lastly, I share a video of a song that is special to me, especially today. It is called "The Power of the Cross" by Keith and Kristen Getty. In 2007, I was in San Diego as a church council member for Incarnation Lutheran Church, and heard the Gettys perform this song. Experiencing the Gettys and this conference with the leaders from my home church was unforgettable.