By Rev Bukelwa Hans
As we reflect on Good Friday, we remember the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We remember His broken body, His spilled blood, and the cruel injustice He endured. But we also remember that His suffering was not meaningless – it was purposeful, redemptive, and deeply connected to the pain of the world today.
In particular, the cross speaks powerfully into the reality of gender-based violence (GBV) – a crisis or a pandemic affecting women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals in our communities and across the whole country and the world.
GBV is not just physical harm – it is emotional, spiritual, and systemic. It strips people of dignity, voice, and safety. And yet, the story of Good Friday offers us more than sorrow – it offers hope, healing, and a challenge to stand up as the body of Christ.
On the cross, Jesus was humiliated, beaten, and stripped of His dignity. He knows the pain of abuse and injustice. He stands with every survivor who has been silenced, shamed, or made to feel small.
Good Friday tells us: you are not alone. Jesus sees. Jesus understands.
Jesus didn’t die because He did something wrong – He died because systems of power silenced Him. Religious and political leaders worked together to condemn an innocent man.
In the same way, GBV often hides in silence, protected by broken systems and fear. As followers of Jesus, we are called to speak out against injustice and stand with the vulnerable, just as He did.
At the cross, Jesus bore our wounds so that we might be healed. His resurrection declares that abuse, pain, and injustice do not get the final word.
To all survivors, this Good Friday we say: You are not what was done to you. Your story does not end in trauma. In Christ, there is restoration, redemption, and resurrection.
We call on faith-based organisations, especially, to be a place of safety, support, and justice.
- A place where survivors are believed and valued.
- A place where silence is broken, and healing is offered.
- A place where we reflect the love and courage of Christ.
This Good Friday, may we not only remember Christ’s suffering, but live out His compassion. May we follow Him into the hard places, listen to the hurting, and be part of the healing He brings.
Violence does not win. The cross says love will always rise again.