This holiday, which is uncomfortable and frequently half ignored, is one of the most important for believers, so what do we miss by skipping over it to Easter?

Autumn has a certain smell.

Some of the great symbols of our faith have been sadly misused in history, but this doesn’t make them any less important.

My mother observed Lent and always wore all black to church on Good Friday. One time, shortly before we left the house, I asked her why. 

“Today is kind of like remembering Jesus’ funeral. Of course, we know he’s alive and waiting for us in heaven, but first he had to die.”