Let's overturn these tables

Easter is a special time for Christians, who can celebrate in many different ways. I was part of a few different types of celebrations and get-togethers this Easter.

But I’ve never been part of anything as imaginative and creative as the Wake for a Righteous Man on Good Friday evening. I’d like to share that experience with you.

---

Wake for a righteous man

I guess you’ve heard that Jesus has died? But he was so much larger than life that it is hard to really take it in. Dead!? Someone who was so much part of so many lives? Taken from us too soon!

But when a friend dies, you have to move on. And you also have to grieve.

So a few of us got together last Friday night to celebrate the life of this good man.

Over wine and cheese we talked. There was lots to talk about.

A few friends gave eulogies for Jesus. Stories of how he had been a friend to them, helped them when they were down. Stories of how they had come to know him, sometimes when they really needed a friend. And stories of how they had sometimes neglected the friendship, but this good man hadn’t forgotten them – when they came to see things differently, he was there to be a friend again.

Of course there were tough times for most of them, when they wondered if their friend really cared at all. But somehow, he always came through in the end. Or they now see he was there for them all along.

I’m sure the rest of us listening could identify with these stories. I reckon we all recalled our own times with Jesus and felt both sadness and happiness at the same time.

Someone had put together a slide show of Jesus’ life, like everyone seems to do at funerals these days. We had pictures of him as a baby with his mum and dad. Then photos with his dad learning to be a tradie. Apparently he was pretty good with a hammer and plane by the end.

Then getting out and about, when he became a speaker on the village circuit and started to draw crowds. They say he could heal people and I believe it because a few said they had experienced it. So we saw him with crowds, Jesus at the centre, always caring for people, helping them, healing them, sharing his amazing new ideas with them.

The pictures at the end were a bit hard to take, remembering how we all felt when he was arrested, framed, condemned and executed.

But we also saw him having fun, relaxing, even one of him surfing. I don’t reckon he had too much time for that, but he had a great sense of humour and saw the funny side when he could.

A couple of good guitarists shared a few songs people had written about Jesus, and others that fitted him well.

Someone had made these small palm crosses to remind us of Jesus’ popularity and death. So we finished our wake with a toast to Jesus, a glass of wine in one hand and a cross in the other – may we never forget him!

It was a memorable night. We paid respect to our good friend. We remembered all he had done for us. And we celebrated all that was good about him.

---

More about the wake

The wake was held at Central Church in Port Kembla near Sydney.

The slide show comprised paintings of different parts of the life of Jesus by artists from many different cultures. The eulogies were all heartfelt accounts of how an encounter with Jesus had blessed each person.

The wake helped us all enter into the darkness of Good Friday without forgetting the hope of Easter Sunday. It was a time of reflection, encouragement, truth and celebration.

---

Read more on this site