April 02, 2004

Understanding the meaning of Easter Holiday

There is a joy in our heart as we feel the spring in the air. Snow is melting and we can see and enjoy the green grass.    
This is also time to celebrate Easter, which is for the Christians, an important festival to celebrate. It is a rejoicing holiday which commemorates the resurrection of Lord Jesus and signifies to the world the love, interest and care of the divinity for the humanity.        
It is also the time when families have fun together in hunt for Easter eggs. A quality time spent with the kids is always a very redeeming activity.

Those of us who are not Christians, the participation in the Easter egg hunt with the kids provide connectivity with the folk tradition of the larger community.
 
At this time, the deeper meaning of the Easter celebration requires to be grasped. Each one of us has our own understanding and thus we get refreshed in our own way in renewing our faith in the divinity and also the humanity.

The birth of the Jesus signifies that the Creator will not sit idly by and let the world slides into chaos and cruelty. In our Hindu tradition, God has assured, that whenever there is an adverse condition (full of injustice which disturbs the working of established societies), He will come on this earth to correct the situation.
 
The birth and resurrection of Jesus is a positive proof of the God”™s commitment.   There are few lessons hidden here for us to decipher. One of these is that for correct end, one needs to use correct means. There is no short cut to problems at hand. Another lesson is for a just cause to prevail over a longer period, a lifetime commitment and sacrificing attitude is more effective rather than frontal attack. The brute force may win battles but in the end the war can be lost.
 
The most disturbing lesson, which I am surmising, is that notwithstanding God”™s intervention like Jesus”™ birth and resurrection, men do not learn the folly of his ways. We are too arrogant and look for our own self-gratification. Otherwise how can we explain what is happening around the world and especially in the Holy land (including in Bethlehem and Jerusalem) where Jesus walked and sacrificed Himself for enlightening humanity.
 
I hope that this spring we will contemplate the true meaning of the Easter and work towards respecting and understanding our Neighbours and communities around.

Pravin Shah