Good Friday Poem: "The Temple"

Sarah Bourns Crosby, Pastor of Formation at Hope Midtown, began writing poetry during the pandemic. In 2020, she shared one of her poems with us, and kindly shared another poem inspired by Good Friday. Make sure to follow the Practice and Prayer sections below to reflect more on the meaning of sacrifice and love.

Learn more about Sarah's Pandemic Prayers and Poetry book by visiting sarahbourns.com!

“The curtain was torn in two.”
— Luke 23:45

It was finally finished
The Father’s heart, anguished
All of heaven watched breathless
The earth quaked and groaned.

The sky stormed and darkened
The graves and tombs opened
His hands gripped the curtain
The veil was torn.

From the top to the bottom
He split it wide open
No more separation
Between inside and out.

—————

“Away with protection,
Corruption, correction
Away with division
Rejection, religion.

My Son’s death was for all,
Not a small precious few.
For both sinner and saint,
The veil torn in two.

For the clean and the unclean
For the right and the wrong
For the lost and the found
For the weak and the strong.”

—————

This veil tells the story
Of two worlds, far apart,
Of discrepancy, disparity,
That rend the Father’s heart

So, He took it
And tore it
And opened it wide
And rolled out the mat
And bid welcome inside.

—————

A PRACTICE
If the Father were to write you a personal love letter on that excruciating day of His Son’s death, what might He have said? How would He have conveyed the agonizing love that brought about that day?

Go ahead. Take out a pen, a piece of paper, a journal. And let the Father’s words, just for you, pour onto the page. No need to filter or fear that you’ll hear Him wrong. Allow the depth of His mercy, the tenderness of His heart, to flow through your own pen to you. Receive this expression of His love.

You might begin with, “My dear beloved one,...” and let the Spirit prompt the rest.

—————

A PRAYER
Since prayer is a conversation with the One you love who also loves you, simply listen today. You don’t need to have any words to say.

Just lean in close and hear what He is already speaking over you.

(deep breath in, deep breath out)

Amen.