“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
We meet as a school to honour Good Friday. Students stream through the doors. Chatter fills the gymnasium of Willowdale Christian School. Ms. Ross stands up front and quiets the room. The service begins. We sing and pray. Ms. Ross steps up to speak, “What’s good about Good Friday?”
She gently, carefully, reverently unpacks the final hours of Jesus’ life. The garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is betrayed by his own disciple. Jesus heals a soldiers ear. He’s arrested, scorned, afflicted and finally condemned. Pilate washes his hands. Jesus is led to the cross and crucified. Darkness covers the earth. Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Near tears, Ms. Ross takes out a small burlap pouch. She pulls out several coins and places them on the ground. “What’s good about Good Friday?” she asks. She picks up a coin and a Bible. She reads, “The wages of sin is death…” She reminds us that its our own sin that merits death. “… but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” She collects the coins from the floor. “Through Christ, we’ve been forgiven. We’re free. That’s what’s good about Good Friday.”
We close in prayer and leave in silence. In homerooms, classes reflect on what they’ve heard.
We hope this past Easter was not just a holiday for our students and wider WCS community. We hope and pray it was a time to experience the healing and renewal that comes only from knowing Christ and remembering the sacrifice He made for us.