³⁶The sight of the crowds moved him to pity: they were like sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless.

Matthew 9: 36 – Revised English Bible

¹²This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.

John 15: 12 – Revised English Bible

¹²Blessed are the merciful, for they themselves will be given mercy.

Matthew 5: 7 – The Keys of the Kingdom Holy Bible

(for those who are unfamiliar with the Keys of the Kingdom Holy Bible, I will be writing about this remarkable new project after Easter, but in the meantime please do see: http://www.keysofthekingdombible.com)

Good Friday is the one day in the year when as Christians we are asked to be introspective and to reflect on life in general and our relationships with others in particular. This is not always a comfortable exercise, which is why the Christian calendar is so helpful – we don’t have to wait long before we can switch our thoughts to the unbridled joy of the resurrection on Easter morning and all it means for our forgiveness. But it must be said that reflection on our failings on Good Friday can be positive, if it’s used as a way of seeking God’s guidance, rather than endlessly beating ourselves up, which can be very self-destructive.

I’ve found that having something on which to focus our meditations for Good Friday can be helpful, and this blog is offered in that tradition. See if you can challenge yourself to find a short time of silence; read each section, consider what your views are about the people described in each and then read the prayer that follows.

As you do this, keep in mind that the meaning of compassion is suffering with others; having sympathy with others and above all, being able to see through the eyes of others. This is a first but essential step to loving one another.

• Think of all those suffering in war, not just in Ukraine but in Yemen and other places, too. Think of those living in terror; of those made homeless and those whose lives have been turned upside down. But also, think of those who for whatever reason have felt threatened and pushed into taking action. Think of all those who feel they have been dragged into war, not just those conscripted in Ukraine, but of young Russian soldiers who never wanted to fight against their neighbours; for those who have been traumatised by what they have been forced to witness

Lord, grant us the gift of seeing through the eyes of others

• Consider all those who have suffered through the last two years; those who have lost their jobs or their financial security; those who have lost loved ones through Covid; those who have been terrified; those whose physical or mental health has been affected by the lockdowns and restrictions, rather than by Covid itself. But also, those who have carried the terrible burden of having to make policy decisions at a time of such challenge, including health authorities and ministers.

Lord, grant us the gift of seeing through the eyes of others

• Think of all the children and young people whose lives have been damaged by the restrictions; for the children who have felt lonely and deprived of social contact; for the children affected by looking at faceless faces in masks; for the parents who are worried that their children may never catch up. But also, for those teachers who have been terrified of catching Covid from the children in their care and for those who had to face the possible prospect of becoming responsible for teacher deaths resulting from a failure to take action.

Lord, grant us the gift of seeing through the eyes of others

• Think of all those who have worked in the health sector; for those whose lives have been wrecked by being unable to get medical attention or who have been in a huge queue for care. But also, for those doctors who have felt that they were being blamed for a lack of care; for those who have worried about how to share out a limited resource in the fairest way.

Lord, grant us the gift of seeing through the eyes of others

• Think of all those who have been affected by disinformation; for those who may come to see that they have been misled; for those who feel guilty for being gullible; for those who feel very angry about being misled; for those who feel they have been silenced and have no way of having their voice heard. But also, for those who are responsible for communication, even when it is false; for those who feel the pressure of having to choose between standing up for truth and being able to feed their family; for those who are placed in the very difficult position of having to swallow hard every day at work.

Lord, grant us the gift of seeing through the eyes of others

• Think of those who will, this Easter, be able to draw on their faith for a sense of purpose, hope and optimism. But also for those for whom Easter means nothing at all; for those who feel they can never have any hope and can only feel pessimism.

Lord, grant us the gift of seeing through the eyes of others

• Think of those who have been working in the development and distribution of vaccines; for those who have been encouraging vaccine take-up. But also, for those who have suffered because of the imposition of vaccine mandates and those whose health has been damaged or who have lost loved ones as a result of vaccine damage.

Lord, grant us the gift of seeing through the eyes of others

Being able to see the world through the eyes of others is one of the most difficult things that we can ever attempt. But in this world where our lives are full of depictions of people being denounced as evil, whether they be Presidents and Prime Ministers; Vladimir Putin; Boris Johnson; Islamic Fundamentalists; those carrying out abortion or having babies aborted; those ‘cancelling’ those with whom they disagree; those who impose vaccine mandates or those who refuse to accept vaccines, we owe our Lord on the cross this Good Friday a proper attempt to see that things are not as black and white as the world mostly wishes us to think.

Lord, encourage us this Good Friday to be brave enough to look into the eyes of those who are calling out: ‘Crucify him!’ and see ourselves there. Amen