Maravi

Time for some good news

Time for some good news
By The Post
Fri 06 Apr. 2012, 13:55 CAT

AT Easter, followers of Jesus wonder again at the good news of God's love which was announced on the very first Christmas - that Jesus came to be saviour of the world. This is why, despite the trauma and trouble that humanity inflicts on and in our world, Easter can deliver a continuing message of hope and meaning.

In the Easter truth, we find a God who comes close to us. That is good news for all who feel isolated and alienated. In the Easter truth, we encounter a deliverer who wore our flesh, entered our life, and encountered our death. That is the good news for all who feel that no one understands their struggles of life.

In the Easter truth, we see one who had the power to overcome death. That is good news for all who fear their own mortality and wonder about any hope for the future.

Easter then, is really good news, because it announces that by the death and resurrection of Jesus, people may receive his love and enjoy a restored relationship with God.

A tone of uncertainty is evident in society today. Winds of change are blowing and their effects are being felt on many fronts - politics, business, finance and even personal relationships. So many factors, once thought predictable, are no longer rock-solid. Thankfully, there are some things that never change.

The Easter message remains a constant source of confidence in every season of life. Last September, we voted in a new set of people to take charge of the affairs of our country. In those elections, we saw the harsh reality of political struggle and the toll it takes. Many times we have been reminded that it is a tough, even violent, game.

In the end, though, our life and health depend not only on governments but also on each other. What matters is the quality of our community life - that shared life, which grows up between us, and within us. If we share nothing, if we stand only for self-seeking and gaining power, then no government can serve us.

When Christ rose, he transformed human relationships. A new kind of world was born. We can still meet the arisen one among our brothers and sisters, in the new community he began. Just as the resurrection of Christ brought new understanding and consciousness into the world, let us also use it to resurrect
ourselves and elevate our nation to another plateau of compassion.

May this Easter celebration be a time of reflection to honour our Heavenly Father with renewed commitment to revere, follow, love, serve and obey him.

And let's not forget that it is our fellow human beings, and especially those who lack life and who need justice, in whom God wishes to be loved, served and obeyed. They are the ones with whom Jesus identified. Therefore, there is no contradiction between the struggle for justice and the fulfillment of God's will. One demands the other.

In his Lenten message this year, Pope Benedict XVI speaks of a brief biblical passage in the Letter to the Hebrews which says: "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works."

The words are part of a passage in which the author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. In examining the words, Pope Benedict reflects on the need for us to be concerned for one another and not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters.

All too often, our attitude is just the opposite - an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness or masked as a respect for privacy. Yet the great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God.

If we believe that there is only one God, who is the Father. If that is true, we should all live as brothers, but the brotherhood that God wants doesn't exist in our society. It's denied by all sorts of discriminations, inequalities
and economic contradictions, by the fact that some people are very rich, while most people are very poor.

So for us, basing ourselves on the very roots of our faith, fighting for brotherhood means fighting against all those things that concretely and historically hinder social equality, justice, freedom and the full dignity for everyone, no matter his job, tribe, colour or ideas.

This Easter, as we prepare to enjoy our four-day break with friends and families, let us not forget that there are many of our brothers who cannot enjoy, who cannot laugh, who cannot eat, who are helpless.

How do we show concern for all these people, for so many of them? It is easy to despair about our powerlessness to help others, but the way to show our human solidarity is to follow God's commandment to love one another in our own lives and through our interaction with the people around us.

By showing concern for those who are suffering in our midst, we are reaffirming that goodwill prevails over evil. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness. Sometimes our affluence and well-being prevents us from seeing, and responding to, those in need and we can become complacent in showing compassion and empathy.

On Good Friday, the crucifixion of Christ reminds us of our responsibility to be guardians of our brothers and sisters, to care for one another and to follow the example of the way Christ lived. His resurrection on Easter Sunday is the ultimate symbol of hope and the very essence of our faith which gives meaning to our lives.

We can't
necessarily change what is happening everywhere but we can show the world that by living in Christ's footsteps and with God's love at the centre of our lives, we are brothers and sisters in humanity. Our love of Christ is powerful and enables us to do good.

Easter reminds us of the story of a little boy rescued after being lost at sea. When found clinging to a rock, he was asked if he was afraid. He answered, ‘I sure was. I shook all night…but the rock didn't move.' The same can be said of the Easter message - it is timeless and secure.

Our prayer is that you discover the real hope and genuine security through the life-changing message that Easter brings. May this auspicious occasion of Easter bless our nation and the masses of our people with peace, love and prosperity! The overwhelming theme of the gospels is that evil exists, but it can be overcome.

Let's overcome it in our homeland!

Labels: HOLIDAYS

posted by MrK @ 3:39 PM