The question took me by surprise. “Ross, what’s so good about Good Friday?” the funeral director asked as we made our way along Highway 2 toward the cemetery. It was the middle of Holy Week, and I was on my fourth funeral in five days. As most clergy will tell you, the relationship you build with the local funeral director is unique — one part professional and the other playful. This particular funeral director and I shared a similar sense of humour. In fact, he claimed working together helped put the “fun” back in funerals. That’s why his serious question on the way to a graveside committal took me by surprise.

“What’s so good about Good Friday?” Before I could collect my thoughts, the director added, “We do good work together, but I doubt most families would call the day they bury their loved ones ‘good.’ So why is the church’s biggest funeral of the year — for Jesus — called good?” The budding trees whipped past the window as we continued down the road, their blur of new life giving me time to think. Good. Friday.

“Well, I’ve always been a bit puzzled by that too,” I said, leaning against the window and looking across at the director. “From what I’ve read, the etymology of the phrase is kind of fuzzy. Some people think ‘Good Friday’ evolved from ‘God’s Friday,’ just like ‘goodbye’ evolved from ‘God be with you.’ The ‘goodness’ of Jesus’ grappling with sin and death on the cross was more a witness........

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