THE NAKED, TRANSPARENT TRUTH OF FREEDOM

Introduction: Why Good Friday Still Matters in a Violent World

Every year, as Good Friday returns, we are invited into a mystery that is both ancient and deeply contemporary. We remember the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ—a man betrayed, condemned, humiliated, and executed. At first glance, it seems like a purely religious memory, something confined to liturgy and prayer. For many, this remembrance risks becoming a ritual, a sacred story repeated across generations. But if we pause and look closely at our world today, we realize that Good Friday is not just a memory of the past—it is a mirror held up to the present.

We live in a time marked by wars, political tensions, systemic injustices, and deep divisions. Nations justify violence in the name of security. Leaders speak of necessity. Media shapes narratives that often soften or obscure suffering. In such a world, the cross is no longer distant—it is painfully relevant. The story of Jesus’ Passion reveals not only divine love but also the patterns of human behavior that continue to shape history.

Good Friday invites us into what Christians call the Paschal Mystery—the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. Yet no amount of study can fully explain its depth. It is a mystery that must be contemplated, entered into, and lived. The question is not only what happened to Jesus, but how we see ourselves in the story. Are we like Judas, betraying truth for convenience? Like Peter, denying when it is costly to stand firm? Like Pilate, washing our hands of responsibility? Or can we become like Simon of Cyrene, who helps carry the cross, even if reluctantly at first?

This reflection explores Good Friday through three movements—images, thoughts, and sentiments— while bringing its meaning into dialogue with our modern world while connecting it to the moral and social realities: a world of unjust wars, moral confusion, and deep longing for truth and freedom.

1. The Stripped Christ and the Exposure of Reality

We begin with a stark and unsettling image: Jesus hanging naked on the cross. Not partially clothed, not dignified, but completely stripped—outer garments and inner tunic taken away. He is left naked, exposed to the gaze of soldiers, crowds, and the sky itself. This is not artistic exaggeration; it is theological truth. This detail is often softened in art and imagination, but historically and theologically, it matters.

Crucifixion in the ancient world was designed to degrade completely- was meant to humiliate completely. It was not merely a method of execution but a public display of humiliation. The stripping of garments was part of that process, meant to expose the victim entirely, to remove dignity, identity, and protection. It was not only execution—it was exposure and public shaming.

And yet, in this act of total stripping, something unexpected happens-  something profound is revealed. The cross becomes a place of revelation. Everything is laid bare.

The violence of power is no longer hidden behind political language or religious justification—it is visible in the wounded body of Christ. The fear of leaders, who feel threatened by truth, is exposed. The complicity of the crowd, which shifts from admiration to condemnation, is revealed. Even the weakness of the disciples, who flee in fear, becomes evident.

But above all, the love of Christ is unveiled in its purest form.

There is nothing left to conceal it. No robe to symbolize authority. No miracle to display power. Only a body given, a life poured out.

This nakedness takes us back to the beginning of human existence. In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed, living in a state of transparency and trust. They received life as a gift, without fear or defensiveness. But with the entrance of sin, that transparency was lost. Fear entered the human heart, and with it came the need to hide, to protect, to control. Clothing became a symbol not just of covering the body, but of concealing vulnerability.

On the cross, Christ returns to that original nakedness—but transformed. He is not unaware of evil; He has fully encountered it. Yet He chooses not to defend Himself against it. His vulnerability is not imposed alone—it is embraced.

In this way, the cross reveals a profound truth: real freedom is not found in self-protection, but in self-gift.

This insight is echoed in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. At the end of his life, Francis chose to die naked on the bare earth. This was not an act of despair, but the culmination of a lifelong journey of “stripping away.” He had renounced wealth, status, and security, discovering in the process a deeper freedom. For him, nakedness symbolized reconciliation—with God, with himself, and with creation.

Both Christ and Francis show us that to be stripped is not necessarily to be diminished. It can also be revealed. It tells us that true freedom is not found in what we accumulate, but in what we are willing to surrender.

2. Moral Disengagement and the Logic of Violence

If the image of the cross reveals truth, it also forces us to think critically about how violence operates in human societies.

The crucifixion did not occur because people openly embraced evil. It happened because they justified their actions.

The religious leaders convinced themselves that eliminating Jesus was necessary for the stability of the nation. Pontius Pilate avoided responsibility, choosing political convenience over justice. The crowd, influenced by prevailing narratives, participated without fully understanding the consequences of their actions.

This dynamic is not unique to the first century. It is deeply embedded in human behavior.

Modern psychology helps us understand this through the concept of moral disengagement, developed by Albert Bandura. Moral disengagement refers to the ways individuals and groups justify harmful actions so that they can act against their own moral standards without feeling guilt.

This process operates through several mechanisms:

• Moral justification: Harm is framed as serving a greater good
• Euphemistic language: Violence is softened through neutral terms
• Diffusion of responsibility: No one feels fully accountable
• Dehumanization: Victims are seen as less worthy
• Blame shifting: Victims are blamed for their suffering

Harmful actions are often framed as serving a greater good, such as national security or economic progress. Language is used to soften the reality of violence—terms like “collateral damage” replace the harsh truth of civilian deaths. Responsibility is spread across institutions, making it difficult to hold any one person accountable. Victims are dehumanized or blamed, reducing empathy and making harm easier to justify.

When we look at the crucifixion through this lens, we see all these mechanisms at work. And when we look at our world today, we see them on a global scale.

Wars are rarely presented as acts of aggression. They are framed as defensive measures, peacekeeping missions, or necessary interventions. Media narratives often shape public perception in ways that minimize suffering or justify violence. Institutions use technical language that obscures ethical responsibility.

The result is a world in which violence persists not only because of power struggles, but because of the ways it is rationalized.

The cross challenges this entire system.

On Good Friday, there is no euphemistic language. No abstraction. No distancing.

A man is tortured and killed in full view.

The rawness of the event strips away all justification. It forces us to confront the reality of what violence does—to bodies, to communities, to truth itself.

This insight aligns with the thought of René Girard, who argued that societies often maintain order through scapegoating. By blaming and eliminating a chosen victim, communities create a false sense of unity.

In the crucifixion, Jesus becomes that scapegoat. He is sacrificed “for the good of the people.” But the resurrection reveals a shocking truth: God identifies not with the crowd, but with the victim.

This overturns the logic of violence.

It means that any system built on exclusion, domination, or harm is fundamentally opposed to the kingdom of God.

3. The Cross and the Reality of Unjust Wars Today

The relevance of Good Friday becomes especially clear when we consider the wars and conflicts shaping our world today.

Across nations, violence is justified through carefully constructed narratives. Leaders speak of protecting borders, preserving identity, or maintaining order. These goals may contain elements of truth, but they are often used to mask deeper realities of suffering.

Civilians—especially the poor and vulnerable—bear the greatest cost. Families are displaced. Children grow up amid fear and instability. Entire communities are reduced to numbers in reports.

Language plays a crucial role in this process. Words are chosen not only to inform, but to shape perception. Bombings become “operations.” Bombing becomes “precision strikes”; Occupation becomes “stabilization”; Civilian deaths become “unintended consequences”; Civilian casualties become “collateral damage.” Torture becomes “enhanced interrogation.” Such language distances us from the human reality of suffering.

Media framing, as explored by thinkers like Erving Goffman, influences how we interpret events and assign responsibility. By highlighting certain aspects and minimizing others, media narratives can reinforce existing power structures and justify harmful actions.

The cross stands as a radical challenge to this.

It refuses to allow suffering to be hidden. It exposes the cost of violence in the most direct way possible. It reminds us that behind every statistic is a human life, a story, a dignity that cannot be reduced.

In this sense, Good Friday is not only a religious observance—it is a call to ethical awareness. It invites us to question the narratives we accept, the language we use, and the systems we support.

4. A Different Kind of Power: The Way of the Cross

In a world that often equates power with dominance, control, and force, the cross reveals a radically different understanding of power.

Jesus does not resist arrest with violence. When one of His disciples attempts to defend Him with a sword, He tells him to put it away. He does not argue His case before Pilate in a way that would secure His release. He does not call upon divine intervention to escape suffering.

Instead, He remains faithful to His mission of love.

This is not passivity. It is a deliberate choice.

It is the strength to remain rooted in truth even when truth leads to suffering. It is the courage to forgive in the face of injustice. It is the freedom to entrust oneself completely to God.

This form of power is often overlooked because it does not conform to conventional expectations. It does not dominate or coerce. It does not impose itself through force. Instead, it transforms from within.

We see echoes of this power in the lives of those who work for justice without hatred, in individuals who speak truth despite risk, who build communities of care, and who refuse to respond to violence with more violence. It is a power that arises “from below,” rooted in solidarity and compassion.

This power does not make headlines, but it changes lives. It is the power of the cross. Such power may seem fragile, but it has the capacity to change the world in profound ways.

5. From Fear to Freedom

Standing before the cross, we are invited not only to reflect intellectually, but to engage emotionally.

At first, there is discomfort. The nakedness of Christ confronts our own tendency to hide. We build layers of protection—social roles, achievements, ideologies—to shield ourselves from vulnerability.

We fear being seen as we truly are. We fear losing control. We fear exposure.

But the cross speaks gently into this fear.

Christ is stripped of everything—yet He is not diminished. In fact, He is most fully Himself. His identity as the beloved Son is not dependent on external signs or protections. It is rooted in His relationship with the Father.

This reveals a profound truth,  a paradox: our worth does not come from what we possess or how we appear, but from who we are in relationship—with God and with others. The most humiliated becomes the most revealed. The most vulnerable becomes the most powerful. The one who loses everything becomes the one who gives everything. Slowly, our emotions begin to change. Sorrow becomes gratitude. Fear becomes trust. Defensiveness becomes openness.

As we remain with this image, our emotions begin to shift.

We feel gratitude, recognizing that nothing has been held back. We feel trust, seeing that even in abandonment, Christ remains faithful. We feel courage, realizing that we too can let go of our defenses.

The cry of Jesus—“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”—resonates with our own experiences of suffering and doubt. It reminds us that faith does not eliminate struggle, but transforms it.

And His final words—“Into your hands I commend my spirit”—invite us into surrender.

Conclusion: The Freedom of Transparent Love

Why is this day called “Good”?

Because in the naked, stripped, crucified Christ, the deepest truth is revealed.

God does not hide behind power. God does not justify violence. God does not protect Himself at the expense of others. Instead, God gives everything.

In a world marked by deception, justification, and fear, the cross stands as a place of radical transparency. It reveals both the brokenness of humanity and the boundless love of God.

And in that revelation, we find freedom.

Not the freedom of control, but the freedom of trust. Not the freedom of domination, but the freedom of love. Not the freedom of possession, but the freedom of surrender.

Good Friday invites us to step into this freedom—to live without hiding, to love without calculation, and to stand for truth even when it is costly.

Because in the end, real love—like the love revealed on the cross—is always naked, always transparent, and always free.

 

  

The Dangers of Divination and Misplaced Faith Deliverance: A Reflection on Faith, Psychology and Ethics

 

In the Old Testament the practice of psychics and mediums is described as “an abomination.” The prophet Zechariah warns against false diviners who lead people astray, stating: “ the diviners have lying visions and publish empty dreams and voice misleading nonsense, naturally the people stray like sheep” (Zechariah 9:9-10). This powerful statement captures the essence of human vulnerability when faced with the unknown. Diviners, psychics, and mediums, who claim supernatural insight, often prey on this vulnerability. The Old Testament goes further to label such practices as “an abomination,” underscoring their incompatibility with the worship and honor of God. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes this stance, admonishing that “all forms of divination are to be rejected”  including “other practices falsely supposed to 'unveil' the future.” These types of divining “conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone” (CCC 2116). This teaching serves as a backdrop to a recent and ethically complex case involving a 17-year-old girl allegedly “possessed” by spirits. 

Case Study: Ethical and Psychological Dimensions of "Possession"

A group of ten people from a family brought this young girl, to a priest  for ‘exorcism’ being fully convinced that she is possessed. She is living with her would-be-husband –ten years her senior– with the consent of her own non-Christian parents, for two weeks. After three days of waiting for an appointment, the priest declared her “possessed by 12 spirits,” reportedly driving them out through prayer and advising the use of religious tools such as a Rosary and  other prayers from a Bengali Prayer Book – Amar Sohochor. They brought the Rosary and the Prayer book to me, a priest, to be blessed. I prayed over and blessed them. On speaking with them I came to know that she was told to invite other family members to pray as well, and consequently get baptized. Therefore, this experience led to such a call for Christian family prayers and the encouragement of baptism for non-Christian family members. 

Ethical Concerns: A Veil of Proselytization? 

This seems, to me, a proselytizing process and strategy, which is forbidden by the Church. While spiritual healing is integral to Catholic pastoral care, there are ethical concerns when practices appear to blur the line between genuine care and proselytization. Encouraging the girl’s family to convert under the pretext of spiritual deliverance is problematic. Such actions risk contravening the principle of respecting individuals' freedom of conscience and belief.  In fact, the future-husband, a rationalist, does not endorse such ‘blind bhut-possession’ theory, saying, the girl is ‘acting’ that way, due to other factors which she is not disclosing.

A Psychological Perspective 

Which are these factors ? I tried to discuss and counsel her on the first day, in finding out the possibility of those factors, and  make her understand, accept, and act accordingly. She was advised to go back to her parental home, rest and relax. I suspect, she is going through a fear complex, unable to express and share with anybody. There might be a certain hysteria or hallucination. Therefore, the girl’s behavior, interpreted by her family and this priest as ‘possession’, raises questions about underlying psychological or sociocultural factors: 

Age and Marital Circumstances: The fact is the boy is ten years elder to her. At 17, the girl may not be emotionally or physically prepared for marriage, especially with a partner ten years her senior. 

Fear and Trauma: Her condition could stem from fear of sexual encounters, coupled with malnourishment and sleep deprivation. 

Mental Health Considerations: Symptoms such as hysteria or hallucinations could indicate an underlying psychological disorder rather than spiritual possession.  Her husband's rationalist perspective underscores the need for medical and psychological evaluation over supernatural explanations.  She needs counseling and mental support.

Seeking Balanced Interventions 

This case highlights the importance of distinguishing between spiritual care and psychological support. The young girl’s behavior might reflect internalized stress, fear, or even societal expectations rather than supernatural possession. Counseling, mental health support, and open dialogue are critical to addressing her challenges.  Furthermore, the Church's role is to focus on compassionate care rather than coercive or potentially manipulative strategies. This aligns with Christ's example of meeting individuals where they are, respecting their dignity and autonomy. 

Zechariah's words remind us of the dangers of misplaced faith in diviners who exploit fear and ignorance. Similarly, the Catechism warns against the desire for control over hidden powers. In this case, ethical and psychological dimensions call for a thoughtful response that prioritizes the girl’s well-being over spiritual sensationalism.  Addressing such situations requires an interdisciplinary approach, blending theological wisdom, psychological insight, and ethical discernment. Above all, respect for human dignity must remain at the forefront of any intervention. 

SOCIAL MEDIA MENACE AND ETHICS

Huge technological changes are taking place with the promise of benefits, but at the same time with serious risks. The risks are more than the benefits, depending on the use of such technology, either for common good or for selfish motives. The digital culture and modern technology affect human understanding and relationships. The digital spaces have become the work-field for most of the IT companies. It has become the mission-field for the Church as well, with the risk of social isolation and digital divide.

 We, therefore, need to respond strongly to the radical challenges caused by the digital diffusion within the human culture. We know that science and technology are meant to be at the service of the society, for human development. This is possible by educating people in the proper use of the digital culture, while distinguishing its good and bad elements. Artificial Intelligence (AI) used by the social media platforms is reshaping human experience and its responses. It has impacted upon human rights, freedom of expression and personal data privacy. It even determines our decision-making processes. It is now a challenge as well as an opportunity for the young generation. Contrary to social justice and human rights, AI as machine learning engines, can manipulate and exploit others, especially those who are ignorant about social media and its profiteering functions.  It does so by controlling, enticing and monitoring – a lucrative job. The free access to apps on the internet is a marketing strategy to get one addicted to the site – it sells the person’s time, attention and self, more than the products it promotes. More time spent by individuals on such sites, are added profits for the app companies.

Without a proper perspective, the use of digital means has caused complex cultural, social and psychological changes on many levels. It demands digital literacy, learning to distinguish the differences of media contents. We cannot escape the influence of digital culture. It is important to cope well with such cultural transition, and engage in transforming it into a means of authentic media, and not as an end.  We will have to use these new ways of communicating, but with commitment and responsibility, making oneself understandable through this digital culture, as a ‘new normal’.

Facebook (FB), founded in 2004, having amplified human free speech by the help of artificial intelligence, its plan is programmed to stir up emotions and attention. This way it invites more views and more advertising. Strategies are adopted to help the company make more money. FB allowed its data to be used for electoral gains also. Governments too ‘weaponize’ FB and the internet. In 2020, FB’s revenue rose to 61.9 billion, with the Instagram owning 28% of it. Far from it, LinkedIn stands at 8 billion and Twitter at 3.7 billion in 2020. India has been described as Facebook’s biggest market with more than 340 million users. The ills of FB platform with two-billion plus users are many. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Ressa, accused FB — the world’s largest distributor of news without facts — of spreading lies “laced with anger and hate”.  11% of Facebook accounts are duplicates and 5% are fake. A systemic societal harms is perpetuated by the trillion-dollar tech FB giant, that “chooses profits over safety” (John Tye, representing FB whistleblower Frances Haugen) Along with Google and Twitter, it does so by destroying the credibility of other genuine news.

 Data journalism that deep dives into fact-finding, has discovered   2.6 million pieces of FB as adult nudity and sexual activity; 324 thousand pieces related to hate speech. We, therefore, need to reinvent our use of social media, deploying both human and artificial intelligence, harness its effectiveness to counter-act against the ills of such platforms, and keep users safe. Against the Silicon Valley’s Scientists, counter research must be made to understand the damaging effects of AI being made used of, by the Social Media platforms.   We need to pressure on them to project their algorithms rightly. (cf. Sevanti Ninan,https://www.telegraphindia. com/opinion/ facebook-is-programmed-to-stir-up-baser-emotions/cid/1834950, 18.10.2021).

Over 1.5 billion users in 180 countries are using Whatsapp for all kinds of messages, videos, spiritual exhortations, emoz, jokes and fake news.  Some are with justified reasons and purposes, many Forwards are nuisance, other messages and videos are unwanted that require patience and time to delete. Whatsapp chat service alone has 400m users in India. (cf. MK George SJ, Use social media, but don’t be naïve, Matters India, 7^th October, 2020).

Whatsapp and Facebook can be dangerous tools. Today, Snapchat, TikTok and other platforms, have become the new “cool” apps for the young. How you use them is critical for the future. Here are some suggestions for responsible use: make responsible and creative use of them; know that they are ‘instruments’ only; spread message of love, instead hatred; more than religious and churchy  messages send  interreligious harmony messages; share  good news, not bad news;  share stories of hope, suffering, resilience and unity irrespective of castes, creed, class and gender; use them to educating towards critical consciousness; protect each other’s identity and privacy; uphold the dignity, rights and respect for the  poor, the minorities,  the marginalized  and the unemployed.

 Today, we will have to enter the world of the young, through their dynamic digital door and meet them where they are, through group experiences, digital means, internet and social media. Through the use of dynamic digital multimedia we get them engaged with videos, streaming, online webinar, audio, useful youth-friendly apps and interactive experiences, even with the use of QR codes. We need to take responsibility for the content we publish and forward; focus on truth and act as watchdog; provide with accurate news and facts from trustworthy sources; avoid sensationalism and use multimedia content discretely.

A Shift in Consciousness: new way of looking at life

 

 We ask today, what is the destiny of the human believers? What if many drift from their faith practice? What if people do not follow their past paths? What will the future following of a particular religious path involve in? It is going to be a metanoia - a conversion of conscience - than moral or life reform.  It is about a complete shift in consciousness, a new way of looking at life. A renewed and reprogrammed ‘memory’ in the making. The pandemic lesson is gut-wrenching: denying one’s past style of life and take up a new course all together. It is a death to the past processed practices in religious terms. A new power to ‘crucify’ one’s set-ego and blind faith.  This paradigm move is going to be the foundation of the religious, or better still, a spiritual life in the future.

It is not difficult to anticipate the religious fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. The impact of religiosity will be felt in the coming years. For the conservative believers, the fallout may well be controlled, but its impact on general religious practices will be felt. Just as the post-Covid contraction of black fungus poses a threat, there will be telling impact on the practicing believers of diverse faith. A prolonged pandemic experience over the past two years of living ‘unnatural lives’ will certainly have strong impact on the believers.  

As the pandemic persists, it is likely that dissatisfaction with ritualistic religious practices will diminish, although a stronger yearning for truth will grow about God, religion and its implication. People’s response to the post-pandemic religiosity will be different. Spiritually, the natural desire for a strong humanity and divinity (as an all-encompassing force) will grow. People’s physical participation in community rituals will change too, probably more towards a quasi-religious practices. These are still assumptions based, on past socio-religious behavior. The present challenges posed by the pandemic, threatens all presumptions and beliefs of the past practices and traditions. The future response possibly will be new patterns of spiritual behavior, more connected to the existing reality, than the past belief-systems expressed mostly through rituals.

The religious narratives has become bare and impoverished in the face of the pandemic experience. It has become arid and static. Today, it has to have a sense of an ethic and meaning that opens up new possibilities. The very Covid crisis has become a religious-ethical crisis. We are not given even the time to mourn the dead or perform the last rite. Religiosity has lost the power of memory. Covid, has proved that the religious crisis is a crisis of culture. Religion as an ideological system has lost its philosophical roots. Today, as ever, the nature is always evolving. In the present ecological age, religions cannot treat nature as a commodity. Reason and faith must be treated equally within religion, based on ‘truth-telling’. The illiteracy of reason within religion is a dangerous thing.  

 

According to Shiv Visvanathan, an academic associated with Compost Heap, a network pursuing alternative imaginations, truth in religion needs to be told in a new language, with a sense of the epic and ethics (Crisis reimagined, The Telegraph, 21.05.21). Certainty and continuity are the hallmarks of any religion based on progressive reasoning with care. Religious truth is to be told with the power of metaphors and the ‘sacramentals’. Religious narratives are a kind of storytelling, - of communicating God’s events in history in metaphors and parables, with their broader meanings. As epidemics of the past had mythic power and people naturally invoked the sacred, the Covid experience too, needs to raise a response to the sacred and the divine. A sacred sense within secularism through social service – as St. Teresa of Kolkata would do - is what is required.

 

When religious language becomes too clerical, the common people during this pandemic crisis desperately seek the power of prayer and healing. Religion that is so much social, cannot afford to lose a sense of society that is suffering. Rituals should not destroy the social reality. At this moment of creation we humans are called to adapt to it, find a new language and act of ethics (not belief system) in order to evolve as new humanity within this evolving creation.