The Wilderness and the Borderlands: Good Friday
04-03-2015
By Jiyoung Kim and Abby Mohaupt
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection andwent into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. (Matthew 27: 45-56)
A Poem by Jiyoung Kim:
Heaven is weeping.
The tears are streaming down and wet the earth.
For saving the entire humanity, for forgiving the sin of the earth
On the cross that only crucified lonely body
Tears are streaming down. Blood is streaming down.
The tears are streaming down on the cross
His blood covered the earth
The earth is weeping tears of blood.
Sin of disobeying Creator God
Sin of not loving each other
Arrogance, Envy, Greed, Gluttony
Lust, Sloth, Wrath …
All of the sin is washed.
We believe that
because of the blood, because of the tears
all of our sins will be washed.
And new life will be sprout on the earth washed.
The earth will be full with sprit of new life.
A Reflection by Abby Mohaupt:
When Jesus died, the Scriptures tell us that many people reacted and mourned… and the religious institution tore in two and the earth broke apart. It was a wilderness suddenly encompassing all things in the great web of life and creation; it was a mourning that left no one or thing on the margins. All creation groaned under the weight of suffering and pain and sin, groaned under the wait to be transformed. All creation rejoiced with the coming of God-With-Us in the man Jesus (do you remember how the heavens shone with joy on the Bethlehem night?) All creation tore their garments of atoms and matter, rending themselves in grief for the One they thought had come.
All creation wept.
Jiyoung Kim is the Children’s Pastor for a Korean Church in Northern Illinois. Originally from South Korea, she has worked from many years as one of the illustrators for church school curriculum produced by the Presbyterian Church of Korean (PROK). She holds a Master of Divinity from McCormick and she is currently working on a Doctorate in Educational Ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary.
Abby Mohaupt is the Faith Community Liaison at a community resource center in Northern California. Originally from Northwestern Illinois, she has labored as an artist, community building, and Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). She holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology from McCormick. Jiyoung and Abby have been friends and learning partners since 2009, and now that they live far away from each other, they miss sharing meals together with their families.
Art by Jiyoung Kim
Materials: springs, marbles, fabric, dried leaves and flowers, cardboard
Art by Abby Mohaupt
Materials: trash, rocks, thorns, nails, glue, paint, mulch. Imprinted on the cardboard are the words from the musical Godspell: “O God, you’re dying.”
Jiyoung Kim and Abby Mohaupt