It is finished

John 19:28-30

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It is finished

For too many across the world

this cry echoes

It is finished

It echoes 

as a virus that respects none

robs them of the breath of life

It echoes 

in refugee camps

and on cruise ships

in urban slums

and in parliaments

in deserted cities

and in rural villages

in homes

in hospitals

in care facilities

It is finished

And the brutal execution

of a political prisoner

suddenly doesn’t seem so fanciful 

so at odds with reality

when the whole world is united

in resisting a common enemy

It is finished

is not the end

for all who have died

and for all who mourn

Our collective grief

will continue to shape

our lives

and the life of the world

for all time

A cross shaped grief

into which is gathered

our pain

our vulnerability

our helplessness

our loss

our determination

our community

our humanity 

Gathered up in that cry

It is finished 

as we wrestle

with what it means

to be human beings

connected across the globe

dependant on each

playing their part

Dependant on our fragile ecology

Dependant

on being human

Together

Dependant on love

that excludes none

and encompasses all.

It is finished

And it is only just beginning.