Jesus & Modern Oppression

“Happy” Good Friday?

I guess ultimately I understand why they call it “good.” The big picture was good. The silver lining. But on that day, it was a state-sanctioned execution of a man who preached love.

The savagery of crucifixion was so extreme that history has felt the need to soften it. But let’s be clear—this was not a quiet moment on a distant hill with three little crosses. No. This was ritualized suffering. Public. Intentional. A system.

Jesus was one of a plethora murdered by crucifixion which was used widely—especially for slaves and rebels—to send one clear message: DON'T RESIST. People were hung in the center of town. Visible. Unavoidable. And the deaths were designed to be prolonged. You carried your own cross. You bled out. You struggled to breathe.

On the cross, to get a full breath, a person had to push up from their feet and pull up with their arms, against the pain of massive nails pinning them in place. Push up. Collapse. Push up. Collapse. Until the body gave out. Or worse—they would break your legs so you couldn’t push up anymore, speeding up death. THAT is how calculated and orchestrated this gruesome execution was.

And yes—the Gospel accounts say Jesus Christ’s legs were not broken. They were going to, though. But by the time they checked, he was already gone. They pierced his side and saw blood and water flow. That’s how they knew.

So no—this was not some isolated moment. This was a public display within a system of terror and control.

Think ICE. Yes. I AM drawing comparison. ICE

Jesus didn’t just show up to be crucified. Authorities went and got him. They detained him. They BEAT and paraded him. They forced him to carry the instrument of his own execution through the streets—under guard, under watch, under power.

This wasn’t random. This wasn’t just cruelty. This was a system. Power + fear + public spectacle = control. All this while the mindless, the complacent cheered it on.

Ancient history now meets modern day.

We are still watching versions of this dark side of human behavior unfold. Masked authority. Bodies detained. People taken. Shackled. Put on planes. Not asked. Not invited. Taken. And the bystanders—just like in the days of Jesus—watching. Some silent. Some cheering. Some convincing themselves it’s justified. The details change. The uniforms change. But the pattern? Still here.

But thank God, this is NOT all there is. The same humanity capable of cruelty is also capable of awakening, of questioning, of choosing something better. The presence of darkness in our history does not define who I personally am. -How about you? Are you with me? Because this is what we are here to transcend. This work begins within each of us.

And Easter feels like a reminder—not just that Jesus rose, but before that, he exemplified someone willing to stand in the face of power and not back down from the love and truth he knew and taught.

So - fast forward to now and the question is - did we learn from that?! And individually, how are we each responding to what's happening?! Of all the characters that were represented then, as Jesus drug his cross through town to its final spot... Which one in the crowd are YOU!?!

Are you the one justifying this? The one staying silent? Or are you the one who sees it and refuses to look away? You can't look away and it feels like a vice around your heart.....

Good.

Darkness doesn’t win because it’s powerful. It wins because people get comfortable.

So no—hate and injustice are not the whole story.

By the grace of God, we can collectively fix this disaster gone global.

That thing that went down 3 days before Easter..."Good Friday." Ultimately it was good because it proves that even when things look their worst, it’s not the end—because what they did was attempted murder… and they failed.

Love is stronger! Always has been - always will be. By and through the grace of God and for the greater good.... WE MUST RISE.