Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
— Isaiah 53:4-6, from today’s readings
Almost all of us know what it’s like to bear pain for someone we love who’s hurting, or what it feels like to carry the blame for something we haven’t done. And we know also how it can either turn us inward, selfishly nursing our own hurt and anguish, or go deeper and open us up to love even more profoundly.
Denise Levertov has a powerful meditation on what it means for Christ to bear our sins and sufferings. We’ve collected some links for Good Friday that you may find helpful as well.