Easter: journey to unity and a just society

All over the world Christians tomorrow mark Easter Sunday-- the greatest event in the Church calendar -- amid an international battle against the Coronavirus pandemic which at 2 pm yesterday had afflicted more than 1,600,000 people and claimed the lives of almost 96,000. Perhaps the best definition or explanation of Easter Sunday or the Feast of the Risen Lord, is given by Apostle Paul who had not physically met the Risen Lord Jesus but wrote about ten of the 27 books in the New Testament of the Bible and wrote them even before the four gospels were written. 

In one of his letters to the Corinthian community, St Paul says, “if Christ has not been raised from the dead our preaching is in vain and so is your faith”. What St Paul is saying essentially is that the Risen Christ is Christianity and Christianity is the Risen Christ. 

Dogmas and laws, services and other prayers are necessary for spiritual nourishment but essentially a Christian is a person who has a close and growing relationship with the Risen Lord Jesus, who lives within us. His main commandment to the people is to “love one another as I love you”. He also said greater love than this no person has, when that person is ready to lay down his life for others”. 

Most Catholic theologians say this brings us to the question as to why Christ died. From the cross His unspoken words were, “Even if you betray, deny or desert me, even if you whip and strip me and crucify me like a criminal of criminals I will still love you because God is love”.

In the life of the Lord Jesus, His main virtue was doing the will of God the Father. He said: “My food is to do the will of the Father. I do only what the Father tells me to do and say only what He tells me to say”. The New Testament says, “God is love and anyone who is living in love is living in God”.  

In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the unscrupulous tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even sinners do that? Therefore you shall be perfect just as your Heavenly Father is perfect”.

Last year we marked Easter Sunday on April 21 and it was more of a bloody Sunday with suicide bombers attacking three churches, three five-star hotels and other institutions. Hundreds were killed, their families and friends are still suffering the consequences and we hope Easter Sunday tomorrow will give them new strength.

 Last year’s Easter Sunday attack apparently carried out by an ISIS-related group created religious and racial divisions in society. We hope the new war against the unseen enemy of the Covid-19 pandemic will bring about unity and a new world order where key issues like poverty alleviation, the battle against climate change, nuclear disarmament and the process of peaceful conflict resolution will get the highest priority. 

Let us hope for a new world or a just and fair society after this unprecedented battle 
against the pandemic.