Good Friday 2010

When I was growing up, good Friday was a morose day. My mother would close the curtains, we could not watch television or do anything lest we incur the wrath of God on our household. In fact I recently came across a childhood diary and at 13 I had written: Good Friday Good Grief!


My parents never wanted to do anything and I was not allowed outside. I began to resent it. I liked Easter, but I did not like the darkness and the goriness of Good Friday. My family was Roman Catholic of the old school variety and so traditions and rituals were very important. However, we did not pray at home and it just seemed so artificial to keep the house dark as if a terrible punishment would befall us if we smiled. To this day, my mother, who loves telephones, does not call on Good Friday.

I still go to church but for many years I kept to this somewhat dark tradition. I did not shop, I did not go out..it was a funeral day afterall.

Good Friday 2010 however was a glorious sun filled day in Ottawa. I called a friend and we went biking. There was still a touch of snow, hence the picture. The shops in Quebec were all open, people were eating on the patios, sunning without shirts. I half expected to see the curtain of the temple torn in two and an earthquake or at least a storm but it remained sunny and bright.

I had a great time biking. I sometimes think that our religion, or at least our understanding of it can in many ways cripple us in life. It prevents us from truly enjoying the creation and basking in the sunshine. The religion of my childhood was one of many prohibitions and nos. There was no earthquake today, no temple curtain being torn in two...nor were the dead raised. I wonder if God was also enjoying his creation!