A Celebration Of Easter
Deborah Venable
04/05/07
Understanding
Christianity requires getting in touch with the essence of what makes human
life unique. Wearing the label of Christian
without such understanding places humanity in as much jeopardy as that which
comes from blindly following Islamic jihad martyrdom or atheistic
secularism. Humans may be led astray to
believe that they are either more or less than they truly are in the scheme of
this thing called life. If we learn
nothing else from our Jewish brethren but that some things are sacred to our
existence and hope must be our constant companion, they are lessons well
learned. From the Jewish experience we also learn that generations must
sometimes pass before appreciation and understanding can be fully enjoyed.
As
we contemplate the present world situation, it is almost too easy for some with
none of this understanding to see a world without hope, without virtue, and without
human worthiness. Western capitalists
who continue to blame their own way of life for deteriorating conditions of the
earth, (both real and imagined) believe themselves to be more than they really
are, but brutal religious dictators and those who follow them, (willingly and
unwillingly) believe themselves and their fellow human beings to be less than
they are. None of them have received
nor understand the Christian message of blessing, salvation, and the duty to
hold onto the blessing of freedom for future generations – no matter what it
takes. Precious human life must not be
sacrificed without the promise of the salvation of others.
In
this Holy Week of celebration I implore other Christians to stop apologizing
for your faith. If you are a true
Christian, there is nothing in your faith that would ever rightly offend any
other faith or human soul, so you need not offend your own by giving another’s
beliefs advantage over it. Defend it –
with your life if necessary, because that precedent was established on the
first Good Friday, and rewarded on the first Easter. In every human community and on every battlefield, humans
sacrifice their lives for the salvation of others every single day. It is one of the many things that all human
beings should feel eternally grateful for every day of their lives. If you are fortunate enough to have this
understanding of Christianity, pass the message on as you enjoy another Easter
Celebration.
The
giving of gifts, especially eggs, which are the best symbols of beginning life
that we have, is a legitimate part of the Christian Easter Celebration. No need to apologize for this either.
Special
Easter Features Published On This Site In the Past: