It is what it is – Jen Brien

by Jen Brien, contributing writer, commentary

CALVARY.

Back in the day when I used to go to church twice a year I really didn’t understand what all the hype was about on GOOD FRIDAY. Intellectually I understood the concept, but emotionally I was vacant. Easter was more about Chocolate and the 1971 “stop motion” animated TV show by Rankin Bass entitled “Here comes Peter Cottontail”.

This is true. My old self used to think “How sad. Jesus had to hike to the top of some hill and he was humiliated, and he died at 3pm”. I knew that I was SUPPOSED to be all intense on Good Friday, but I wasn’t exactly sure for which specific reason. Some people at church focused on his dying.  Many focused on the humiliation and suffering. Others honed in on his words to the criminals on his left and right. I had also heard a 2-hour sermon on his last words to his father, and his petition for mercy for the people who were torturing him. Yea, there was a lot there to unpack, and if you have no relationship with Jesus, it’s easy enough to just suppose it away as if going through some type of spiritual exercise that has got to get done once a year.

Now, as someone who has had a relationship with Christ, I can tell you without a doubt, it ALL CRUSHES my heart and spirit on Good Friday. To think that Jesus was effectively celebrated and cancelled by the masses faster than the speed of light, betrayed and doxed by a close friend looking for a payout, only to find himself in some twisted reality show where his demise was “must see TV”. In today’s world that would have gotten MASSIVE RATINGS if it were televised. We really aren’t much different than they were back then, except for technology. Sad, but true.

I’m writing about this this week because I know life has numbed a good many of you. It’s rough out here, and you have to keep your wits about you to get back home safely every day…. but what I’ve learned is that none of what you think matters… matters. Stuff doesn’t matter, titles don’t matter… What matters is our HEART CONDITION and how it affects the world around us.  Jesus set you free on CALVARY… You now can live anyway you want. In freedom, or bondage. It’s simple and IT’S YOUR CHOICE.

Easter is a choice. A super important choice about our inner “man”. A lot of people say that Jesus is a grand fairy tale and a lot of nonsense, and it’s true I can’t prove to you that Christ existed with a Kodak moment at CALVARY (but you know damn well had those folks had iPhones we would have photographic evidence 2000 years later) but, what I can tell you is that I HAVE encountered Jesus / God / Holy Spirit in my own “Jen way” AND God is 1 million percent real. God has helped me and loved me and supported me and provided for me. He’s a good father.

Give it a whirl. If not, enjoy that Chocolate bunny. 

Till next week,

Jen

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Jen Brien has over 20 years of radio broadcast experience having hosted shows on WPRO and WHJJ with Ron as well as her own shows on WRKO and WBZ in Boston, WXTK on Cape Cod and WHAM in Rochester, New York. Jen was born and raised in Woonsocket and served six years in the Army MP Canine Unit. [email protected]