Three Reasons Why Even Atheists Should Observe Good Friday (and Lent)

You don't have to be Christian to benefit from observing a good Lent, and a Good Friday.  Here are three reasons why.

1.  It ain't about you.  Sorry to break it to you, but the sooner you acknowledge it, the sooner you can get on to caring about someone other than yourself, the sooner you can celebrate that it ain't about you.  You don't have to carry the load yourself; you're not alone; it's OK to ask for help.  Repeat - it ain't about you.
  
     Some people discover that when they have children, and they devote their lives to raising the best possible children.  Some don't and focus instead and only on being best possible parents.  There's a difference.

2.  As C.S. Lewis says in his book Mere Christianity, "there are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right then, have it your way."  Lent and especially Good Friday is a good time to step back and reflect on which we choose to be.

     When it comes to famous last words, none can beat Christ's.  "Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit," or more simply put daily by Christians throughout the world, "Thy will be done."

3.  Christ was a human fact in the history of mankind.  Contrary to what South Park's creators would have us believe, he was not a mythical creature like the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.  Looking for profundity?  You can spend your riches on dough-heads who spout off on four hours of sleep a day, you can self-motivate, and you can anesthetize your soul with chicken soup and or your mind with daily quotes.
     You can read the Gideon bible available for free in any hotel room.  Go ahead, no one will see you.  You can download and read the bible for free on your smart phone and people will think you're checking your emails and texts and tweets for the umpteenth time.  You can read the words of Christ (they're in the New Testament) and try to figure out what he's saying, and how that applies to you.
  
 But first, you're going to have to surrender your pride.

And that, my friends, is the great lesson of Good Friday, the day God surrendered to the will of mankind and was nailed to the cross for his troubles.

Once you wrap your head around that one, you'll be ready for your very own Easter Sunday.