On This Day: NCU Student & Staff Reflections on Good Friday

April 14, 2017 by Zoe Herron

Editor’s Note: The following collection of quotations features the thoughts and reflections of NCU students and staff on Good Friday. From the Christian church calendar to the immense pain of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, these students and staff, all of varied faith backgrounds, offer a diverse understanding of the day.

“Good Friday makes me pause and remember exactly what it was that Jesus did for me. It reminds me that Jesus prayed that God would find another way. And that Jesus showed obedience in the face of suffering because of his love and grace; love and grace that we do not deserve. He got what we deserved.” –Lily Harrous, junior

“I am so grateful to be home with my girls and reflect on this day.”-Princess Fox, Director of Student Programs

“Good Friday is a time to reflect on the brutal suffering of Jesus on the cross. In my Good Friday experiences, it’s been a time to experience sorrow with how Jesus was tortured, the immense love Jesus has for us when he suffered for us, and peace in forgiveness because He died for our sins (God forgiving us and us forgiving others). I pray that we may all not be afraid to seek forgiveness, let our old selves “die with Christ” on Good Friday and let the Lord change us so that we may experience His powerful healing.”-Samantha Ross, sophomore

“Today’s Christians often think of Good Friday as good because we know about the resurrection Sunday, but we often forget that Good Friday, for the disciples, was anything but good. Everything that they had ever known and everything they had ever loved came crashing down that day. Even then, they did not know that Jesus was going to come back to life, and, if so, we forget the somber moment of Good Friday. I think it takes away from the ultimate joy of Resurrection Sunday. Sit in the somber moment of the death of Christ so that your ultimate joy and satisfaction will come from him living again on Sunday.”-Shivonne Robinson, sophomore

“I am very thankful for our church calendar during this time of year. I think that Good Friday is a day that we can actually experience feeling sad, it is an opportunity to feel those feelings and experience those kind of emotions.”-Greg Brock, Director of Residence Life and Student Services