HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAYS TO ALL

Apr 16, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Every year, Easter is celebrated in Guyana by Christians who believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ who rose from the dead after his crucifixion. The scriptures proclaimed that Jesus suffered at the Cross before his death.
For some, Easter Sunday is about the Easter Bunny, colorfully decorated Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts and kite flying. Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by its symbolism and by its position in the calendar and is regarded as the Christian fulfillment. It is the culmination of the Passion for Christ, preceded by Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Christ and Easter Sunday is the celebration of his resurrection.
The connection between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the modern traditions that relate to Easter Sunday essentially occurred to make the Roman Catholic Church more attractive to Christians. It is the mixture of the resurrection and spring fertility rituals which are the source of the egg and bunny traditions. Christians believe that it is appropriate to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on a Sunday which is typically one of the most-well-attended Sunday services of the year for Christian churches.
Christ’s resurrection reinforces the belief that Christians can have an eternal home in Heaven by receiving him as their Lord and Saviour. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. It established Christ as the Son of God. Through faith, Christians believe that they are spiritually connected to him and will receive eternal salvation.
The message of Easter is therefore about the possibility of an after-life. It is also about the triumph of good over evil, of love, endurance and adversity. As the nation celebrates Jesus’s resurrection, those in authority should reflect upon the state of the country. Never before has there been such a flagrant assault on the sanctity and sacredness of life.
There is more darkness in society; human trafficking, illegal drugs, alcohol abuse, poverty, joblessness, homelessness, murders, child molestation, violence in schools and an archaic justice system that is in favor of the rich and powerful. The jails are overcrowded and prisoners are facing peril behind bars. In spite of all the darkness, Easter holds out the ultimate victory of light which darkness cannot overpower. No matter how great the darkness, the light will conquer it.
As Christians contemplate Jesus’s resurrection, they should also reflect on those who died of natural causes and who were murdered, especially mothers and children. There is an urgent need to reflect on the senseless murders. More should be done to reduce crime, rehabilitate the prisoners and reform the criminal justice system.
We must deter those who are bent on causing harm to others and disregarding completely the order which anchors society. Many feel that they are hopelessly entombed with the ongoing encounters with crime, incidents of graft and corruption, nepotism and waste.
Sadly, when one looks at the situation, there is little hope because it is clear that the authorities are still not able to solve these problems and bring light to society.
There is much more work that needs to be done to end the darkness and resurrect Guyana. Guyanese should take a cue from the message of Jesus’s resurrection and reassure themselves that darkness can be overcome.
All should join in the fight to overcome the systemic darkness that has descended on Guyana. In doing so, the country will be resurrected and its light will shine brightly into the future. Happy Easter to all.

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