Happy Easter

 

 
It’s that time of year once again, when most in the local Christian community reflect of the death of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
 
For those attending Good Friday service, the pain and suffering of Christ will be the focus – His rejection by the very highest officials, his denial by disciple Peter, the call of the mob for the criminal Barabbas, instead of the King of the Jews. At times, it is suggested, even argued, that the death of Jesus Christ did not come around this time of year, as pundits get on their high horse to argue which time of year he was actually crucified, if at all. However, for those of us in the Christian community, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and the Easter period on a whole, have significance.
 
I do believe that if we look closely, the Easter happenings are not that far-fetched. It stands to reason that once we are here on earth, we were born at some point in time. Hence, we celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas. Having been born, we die at some point in time, some of us having fulfilled our mission on earth, others missing the mark perhaps. And so, we celebrate Christ’s death on Good Friday. Note I purposely said “celebrate”, since for the Christian community, Christ’s crucifixion was not his final end. Hence we celebrate His resurrection and the empty tomb on Easter Sunday.
 
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. It is not hard to imagine how Jesus was rejected by his very own, who “received Him not”, since, in our very own society, we have instances where individuals mock us, put us down and try to belittle us.
 
The Easter happenings help us to bring human life under the microscope. At present, we are seeing a turn in Barbadian society, where a number of our youth are gravitating to what is flamboyant and violent, and they are choosing to side with those who ultimately display a negative attitude. What is bad has ultimately now become good. Those on the other hand, who are seen as “goody two-shoes”, who are all for the positive side of things, are now denigrated and even ridiculed. They are ultimately being rejected by their peers. Can you see any similarities with the Easter story?
 
The turning point, however, comes when we realise that Christ fulfilled His mission here on earth, to give us hope and a future. The Bible is clear on how we should live. However archaic it may appear to some, those following the biblical principles in sincerity do not lack any good thing. While we all have our faults and struggles, we should remember that the message of Easter is one of Christian love, which ultimately assures us of the gift of salvation, once we accept what is on offer.
 
Broken humanity can be fixed by seeking a loving God, who has already paved the way for us. He does not promise a smooth flight, but a safe landing and none other but the Easter story reminds us of that. Have a Happy and Blessed Easter!

Barbados Advocate

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