Today, there is joy for Christians around the world as we celebrate Resurrection Sunday. This sacred day commemorates the triumphant return of Jesus Christ from the dead, following his crucifixion on Good Friday.
The day stands as the cornerstone of the Christian faith. It affirms the core tenets of belief in God’s word and the power of faith itself. It serves as a source of inspiration and strength for the faithful, guiding them through life’s trials.
Today is a day of celebration for the faithful. Churches will overflow with congregations eager to hear the message of salvation and relive the inspiring story of the biblical events.
Filled with renewed hope, they will embrace the optimistic promise embedded in the gospel. They will reflect on the reason for Easter and for this very special day.
As biblical history will tell us, Jesus Christ rose from the dead on this day. This is arguably the most important event in Christianity, for it attests to the very essence of the faith — faith itself and belief in the word of God.
Christ’s experience, from the pain He endured to His crucifixion on Mount Calvary, outside Jerusalem, to His resurrection on the third day are key elements of the faith and forms the bedrock of Christian belief. Faith can be a very powerful force.
Spiritual conviction can be quite powerful as well. They lay the platform for the faithful to celebrate their beliefs and share in the good message that comes during Easter.
Easter carries with it a message of pain and suffering, yet there is hope for mankind. In the face of all that suffering Christ endured, His crucifixion, Christians believe, was for the redemption of sin. It was a sacrifice for all of us.
In the face of that, let us be joyful, and reflect on life. We know life is fragile, hanging by a thread sometimes. We may not all share the same good things in life, but Christians have hope of a better tomorrow and the story of the resurrection is important in that sense.
It offers hope. It is a tale of good over evil, of sacrifice, and of overcoming sin! It is a time to forgive, and a time to embrace goodwill. We live in a multi-racial country.
We have long lived together side by side and we take a lot of things for granted. We are far removed from the volatile countries around the world. We are far removed from ethnic violence where deaths are a part of life.
We are far removed from situations where it can be unsafe to be of a different ethnicity. We are fortunate in the sense that we can walk down the streets of our urban centres for instance, embracing togetherness because it has been part of our lives for decades.
Our markets are filled to the brim with vegetables and root crops sold by people from all walks of life, sitting or standing next to each other.
Our restaurants are filled with people from all walks of life eating their meals side by side, and cinemas are filled with people of different ethnicities who also pack our malls and supermarkets around the city.
It is meant to be that way! This is the beauty of life in Fiji. It makes us special people! Today we have many reasons to live life to the brim. It is Resurrection Sunday!
There is hope for mankind.
