The Meaning of Good Friday

March 2024

A word that meant “holy” in Old English, “good” today signifies many things. To be sure, both words have taken a beating in our time. But on this day, during an Easter season where hope feels incredibly distant and out of reach, Good Friday reminds us that what is good and holy in life endures and cannot be suppressed or eradicated by all the pain and sadness of the world.

In fact, Good Friday is good preparation for April, when we will learn about “Justice in a Multi-Faith Society.” We will have searching conversations about our common past in the story of Abraham. We will remember that despite centuries of division, followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all children of Abraham. We will ask how our shared heritage can make dialogue, friendship, and even justice possible.

As we look forward to April, we remember that the meaning of Good Friday may be elusive, but it is also enduring.

Thank you for being part of this work!

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April Theme: Justice in a Multi-Faith Society

During April, we will be learning how to envision and enact justice in a multi-faith society. We will do this work by exchanging stories that reflect our deepest longings for the sake of dreaming together toward a more just world. While religious differences often bear negative fruits in our world, we will learn how those same differences can also provide strength for our lives together as we commit to the ongoing work of acknowledging our common humanity.

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Generous Dialogue in an Age of Religious Violence (April 14, NYC)

How can we come together to work for justice when religious differences so often pull people and communities apart? Join us in NYC for a probing conversation about the limits and possibilities of inter-religious dialogue in the work of justice. This is an in-person event at the Riverside Church in the City of New York with a live stream option available.

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A Conversation with Micha Boyett (April 24, SF)

In place of our regular fireside chat, in April we will have a special book launch event. Join us for an evening of conversation with Micha Boyett about her new book, Blessed Are the Rest of Us: How Limits and Longing Make Us Whole.

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Summer Session 2024: Faith and Democracy in Crisis (June 8, Berkeley)

Amid a tumultuous election year, many people feel fearful and anxious due to the stories of doom and gloom all around us. However, instead of surrendering to these negative emotions, we can forge a better way. During our summer session, we will delve deeper into the tangled roots of our crises of faith and democracy in the hope that remembering our past can be a profoundly healing practice. We invite you to join us for a summer of reading, learning, imagining, and building a better future together.

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Spring Gathering on Racial Justice and Faith (May 18, Philadelphia)

Our spring gathering in Philadelphia will focus on our central question for the month of May: How has Christianity contributed to the making of race throughout history and what can be done about it today? We will hear from three of our teaching fellows, go on a historic walking tour focusing on "The Decolonizing Faith of the Historic Black Church in Philadelphia" (led by Lisa Sharon Harper), and conclude in the evening with a fishbowl conversation with leading evangelical voices talking about “A Theo-Ethical Vision for Evangelicals Beyond 2024.”

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More…

• ​Start a F+J group at your church
• ​Support the F+J Network​

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