April 2, 2021

Today is Good Friday, a holy day in Christianity, marking the crucifixion of Jesus in the unfolding story of Easter and Resurrection. There are many ways to touch the spiritual significance of Easter and our focus at Hillside has often been on one of the last recorded phrases of Jesus as he suffered on the cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." In the various ways of interpreting His final seven phrases that are included in the Bible (recorded by different disciples), this phrase is listed first. These words mark a powerful place to begin to heal when we have reached the limits of our own personal suffering and seek spiritual sustenance, understanding, guidance, and new/renewed life. Throughout the Pandemic, I have been led back to this powerful spiritual principle and practice. Good Friday forgiveness, led by the guidance of your own heart, clears your emotional/mental fields, leaving fertile ground for the seeds of new life. Open wide and forgive. "Just for today." (Susan Nettleton)