FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA — Easter is a time of jubilation. It is a reminder for those who are feeling helpless, discouraged, and afraid because of pain, problems, and challenges that life has its brighter side as well.
Easter is the “light at the end of the tunnel” for those who are overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, including those who may have lost their sense of meaning and purpose in life.
Easter brings a message of hope and possibilities for millions of people around the world displaced due to armed conflict or war or natural disaster.
Easter evokes a sense of optimism for those discriminated against because of the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their beliefs, their class and socio-cultural and political status.
At the same time, Easter serves as a rebuke for those who cause pain and suffering to others.
Easter is also a call to repentance and transformation for those who welcome its salvific message.
For Christians around the world, Easter is a wonderful news that needs to be spread out in words, in thoughts, and in deeds. Hence, the celebration of Easter is a call to mission.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ marks the triumph of God’s power over the evil intentions of those who killed and crucified Jesus. His resurrection signifies God’s act of justice in response to Jesus’ cry on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
From the perspective of the disciples and the early followers of Jesus, they found redemption in Jesus’s resurrection, especially on what happened in Golgotha where many of them may have felt extremely humiliated and embarrassed, and perhaps even lost, or questioned their beliefs over the death of their teacher.
Many were terrified and felt they lost their message and sense of mission. Hence, Saturday was considered to be a day of silence as they just did not know what to do, knowing fully well that their teacher and Lord had just been crucified and placed in the grave.
But at Easter, the passion and mourning have become promise and hope.
The evidence of Jesus’ resurrection lies not on the empty tomb per se for it could be argued that it was vandalized or burglarized. The evidence of Jesus’ resurrection lies in the fact that there was proof of life!
Jesus appeared to the women who came to visit the tomb. He appeared to his disciples on their journey to Emmaus. Jesus also appeared when the disciples were having supper, and he gave them bread, which reminded them of the last supper they had with Jesus. That was the moment when they truly realized their teacher had risen from the dead.
Christians today consider Easter as the triumph of life over death. It signifies that God’s love is more powerful than human hatred.
However, for many of us around the word today, especially those who are deeply affected or impacted by the CoViD-19 pandemic, the idea that life is stronger than death might seem far-fetched, if not too soon to be embraced and believed in.
With the number of CoViD cases that keep on rising every day, with countless deaths each day, not to mention the tens and thousands of those who are currently fighting for their lives, Easter might not be a day of celebration.
We have burials without funerals, lonely deaths without the presence of loved ones and friends by their side as they breathed their last. We have hundreds of thousands of grieving families around the world who could not even extend physical support like a hug or an embrace to one other because of the quarantine and physical or social distancing, and isolation mandate. People are grieving on their own with no comfort in sight. What does the resurrection of Jesus mean for those who are grieving and in deep pain?
When the women excitedly informed the disciples about the resurrection of Jesus, the men were not ready to receive the good news. Many were still overwhelmed by grief and fear over the death of Jesus. It was even more difficult for them to pretend as if things were okay, when they still needed more time to grieve, and make sense of what just happened.
No matter how much the women tried to convince their fellow disciples of what they discovered at the tomb, it would take time for those who were still in pain to embrace wholeheartedly the good news of the resurrection of Jesus.
We can be with the rest of the world in celebrating Easter, but deep inside, we know that many are not ready to celebrate it wholeheartedly. Cognitively, perhaps.
We have to acknowledge that many of our brothers and sisters today are in a period of passion and suffering due to the impacts of the pandemic. Many are grieving, and no amount of Easter or resurrection story can soothe their deep sense of loss or fear and anxiety.
We hear many of our brothers and sisters echoing the prayer and lament of Jesus Christ, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Collectively, people are lamenting, “Our God, our God, why have you abandoned us in these times of the pandemic?”
With his cry, Jesus heard and answered the people’s cries. Through his death, Jesus amplified their cries. The cry of Jesus on the cross was not only on his behalf, but a way of interceding in behalf of those who have been suffering and in deep pain.
In this cry, Jesus was one with the sick and grieving families. He was one with the poor and the oppressed of the world. Yes, Jesus cried out for God’s justice on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
And God answered the faithful cry of Jesus with the most powerful act of justice yet. He raised Jesus from the dead, and exalted him to sit with the authority at the right hand of God.
God’s justice was not of vengeance nor retaliation but of redemption and vindication.
It was to symbolically demonstrate the message to those who crucified Jesus that Life is stronger than death. And that Love is more powerful than hate. That was the turning point.
Amidst sorrow and despair during his life and ministry, Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. He went about healing the sick, restoring human dignity to those who were being discriminated against by mainstream society and all the power-that-be.
He defied the Sabbath law and other regulations to extend humanitarian services to those in need. He empowered the powerless and the destitute during his time. He turned the world value system upside down for the sake of preserving and promoting human dignity. He befriended those whom society considered to be enemies and outcasts. He transformed the lives of the rich and influential individuals who welcomed him.
These and many more are all resurrection stories which imply that everyday is Easter. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the culmination of all those resurrection moments.
Like the women disciples who became the first ambassadors of the good news of the resurrection of Jesus, we, too, are called to do the same.
In a world that is in pain, we are called to bring healing. In a world that is broken and fragmented, we are called to help mend and bring wholeness. In a world where millions of refugees and asylum seekers have been displaced because of war and natural disaster, and are in need of a safe place to live, we are called to welcome them. In a world faced with uncertainty and overwhelmed by fear with the thousands of deaths everyday due to the pandemic, where the number of those infected by the virus continues to go up, we are called to extend whatever we can to be a genuine presence — it could be through financial donations or in kind, by checking in on them and making sure they are okay, by letting them feel they are not alone, providing safe and welcoming online spaces for those who need to be part of a support system, extending prayers and positive thoughts and good vibes in various ways possible; by constantly reminding our government leaders that this is not the time for politicking, and that they must put people’s lives and well-being above anything else; that government leaders must have the political will to address this pandemic comprehensively.
If governments can allocate huge budgets for defense and what have you, they must also do the same, if not, even more so for medical and health programs. We are talking about social capital here.
In a world that is overwhelmed by confusion, faith communities and churches must provide the people with comfort and solace that no matter what happens out there, everyone is welcome here in our faith community, and are taken care of, thus, making them feel safe and secure.
Easter is not just a call to celebration; it is a call to commitment to continue proclaiming the Good News not only in words but also in our action.
Everyday must be an Easter day. The resurrection of Jesus ought to be lived out every single day in our lives. It is not a thing of the past. Every time we extend hope and assurance and healing and opportunities to everyone in thoughts, in words, more so in tangible ways, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
In the same manner, whenever we allow injustice, oppression and greed to continue to destroy people’s lives and the natural world, and not do anything to stop them, we also continue to crucify Jesus in our hearts.
The resurrection of Jesus tells us that Life is more powerful than death. It is our responsibility then to spread the gospel. Let us be the embodiment of the resurrection of Jesus every day in our lives.
