Memories of Good Friday

Good Friday for me brings back childhood memories. Growing up in Westmoreland, Jamaica, as children each Good Friday each of us would break an egg, and drain the egg white in a glass container with water and place it in the sun until midday. The aim was to find out our destiny. So the thought was that if the egg white forms a ship you know you are going to travel! You could also see a ring… But Christ! the worst fear of your destiny was if the egg white formed a coffin you know what. And there may be other objects that could form from the egg white, but as children all we wanted to see was a ship because we all wanted to travel in the future. Take a cruise maybe…  But did any of the possible outcome stated here ever happened? Perhaps not. The shape formed from the egg white is usually undetermined. But because our wish was to travel all we perceived or “saw” was a ship.

Other childhood memories involved my grandfather who was of the Seventh Day Adventist faith; therefore he did not celebrate Good Friday and Easter. On this particular Good Friday, as a farmer he went on his regular work in the field. Something unfortunate happened… He chopped off his left index finger, held on only by the skin. As other members of the family we felt that it happened because he should not be working on Good Friday because it was a sacred day – the holiest day on the Christian calendar.

Good Friday is a day of worship for us as Baptists. It is a solemn day as we remember what Christ did for us on the cross at Calvary. But as a child, being a Baptist I do not remember going to a Baptist church on Good Friday as it was a good distance away. We would go to the Anglican Church which was closer to home at the time. Another reason was that my grandmother preferred to attend the Church of England (as she would call it, instead of saying Anglican) because she liked their Good Friday service.

And then, we would be sure to sing… On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suff’ring and shame; And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best For a world of lost sinners was slain. So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it someday for a crown…

Interesting inspirations as this one, and more from daily devotional – Devotions on the ROCK. The first edition available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1978141696 in print and kindle.

“Live for Now”

A popular beverage company carries a slogan that says, “Live for Now”. “Live for Now” can mean one of two things. First it could be aligned to the scripture verse of Matthew 6:34 – “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” It is implying that we should have faith and trust God to take care of tomorrow. And Proverbs 27:1 says:”Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring”.

Secondly, in a casual manner it could mean that you think only for the moment – do the best you can for today or now, because chances are you may not live to see the next hour or the next day. So enjoy yourself to the fullest, and as we would say in Jamaica, “Live it up to the max.” Spend all you can, treat yourself the best you can…the best food, clothes and kind of living you can afford. Do not worry about the consequences or repercussions in the future from what you do “Now”. Do not take into considerstion the future welfare of yourself or your family. Tomorrow will take care of those things, and that is if… we live to see tomorrow. Just “live it up Now” as if it is the last day on earth.

Wow! faith or casual faith should we not be living as if it’s the last day on earth doing the best that God calls us to do. Living our lives for the kingdom “Now”. Serve God “Now”. Do what you can “Now” for all the people you can “Now” and the best you can “Now”. Do not put off or procrastinate in living the morally high life “Now”.

Hey! let’s not be ignorant of what “Live for Now” really means in the context of our culture and world view. From a cultural point of view the second argument stands when we say “Live for Now”. It is a culture embraced for who are not level-headed  and who are not willing to learn from the mistakes of others. But not to take away from the beverage company who says that “Live for Now” will invite and inspire [their] fans to live each moment to the fullest through a breadth of global, pop-culture platforms, including relationships with music and entertainment brand evangelists, digital innovation, epic events and unique partnerships.”

Having music and entertainment brand evangelists participating in the “Live for Now” campaign for this beverage company, it appears that our now perceived “Live for Now” culture is about to see “a new dawn in life.” A paradigm shift. Cheers!… Have some of that dark beverage “Now”.