EASTER is a celebration that goodness, compassion and love of neighbor can and will overcome wrongdoing, hatred and social evil.
Despite the appearance that Jesus of Nazareth and his movement to create a just and loving society, was defeated with his arrest and crucifixion, victory came with his resurrection.
Through the power and love of God, the Father, he lives again, and his spirit is with us so that the power of faith that goodness, justice and love of neighbor will overcome evil some day gives us the hope of victory.
God, the Father raised up Jesus to life and confounded and defeated his tormentors and enemies. We, too, can share that hope when we face apparently insurmountable challenges of social evil and injustice and negative situations in our lives.
How many good people have stood for goodness and truth, fought for justice for the poor and opposed the unmovable power of corrupt regimes and government and were arrested, imprisoned, punished and executed as was Jesus of Nazareth over the long span of history?
Hundredths of thousands of great people dedicated to the Gospel values were victims of cruel and despotic regimes for sure. But their lives, their work and social movements and sacrifices brought success eventually and goodness won the day.
That struggle of the dedicated humans, advocates for good, defenders of the rights to life and childrenâs rights, strand with the poor and the oppressed are the very best of humans to walk this earth.
We can say that Jesus of Nazareth is the most outstanding person in history that has exemplified the goodness, compassion and love of oppressed people that, as many others have followed him have done, gave his life for justice, equality and for taking action for the rights and dignity of the outcasts and the poor.
Yet as I have previously written such goodness and love of truth and integrity is sharply contrasted with the opposite, the worst traits of human nature in those, rich and powerful in society that conspired and plotted to have Jesus of Nazareth falsely accused, charged, tried and condemned for doing good.
He was executed for bringing the great values of compassion, love of neighbor, justice, truth and honesty into the world. He has inspired hundredths of millions of people for over two thousand years and continues to do so.
Jesus of Nazareth was a great Jewish person, a man from Palestine, he was spied upon, betrayed, persecuted, falsely charged, vilified, abandoned and arrested. It started in a mock trial that handed down the death penalty to him who called himself âOne of Humanityâ, a Son of Man.
This Easter we also celebrate the power of people with resilience, thathave the determination and the belief and hope that the persecuted and oppressed will with our support rise up and speak out and challenge the forces of their oppression. Easter bring hope that they that suffer on a cross of oppression can rise to a new life.
These are the brave and courageous seekers of truth and freedom and live in hope of justice and true democracy and equality. Jesus was a non-violent revolutionary advocating justice and love of neighbor to overcome the power of death and his spirit lives among us, inspiring and encouraging all to put his values into action for social and political transformation to create a just society however distant that reality may be.
He was a simple teacher of values. He taught by stories and he was a social activist who spoke against the evils of the authorities, spoke truth to power and he paid the price. He was a critic and a threat to the authorities having exposed their hypocrisy, ill-gotten wealth and evil ways. He has outlived them all.
Today, many seekers of justice and truth follow his example, never give up doing good and opposing evil like him, human rights workers, church people, outspoken truth-seeking, environmental defenders, defenders of child rights are vilified and condemned.
Jesus grew up, the son of a carpenter, a humble but very wise man, a prodigy some say, with incredible insight, compassion, understanding, and knowledge of human nature. His dramatic message was that of equality among all, the rich had to share so the poor would no longer be poor and social justice would reign and oppression would end.
Today, societies are far from this standard. We may be church goers but not christians, that is if we do not act to bring justice, truth, freedom to the oppressed people. âFaith without action is deadâ, wrote St. James in The New Testament.
Jesus challenged the ruling powers in Jerusalem. The people lived in fear of the tyranny of the rich elite. Yet even today, despite this same oppression and persecution, by ruling dynastic families, corrupt politicians the true Christians and believers in the principles of justice and the rule of just law have the courage to take a stand for life. They have faith they believe that the good will overcome evil and they take action to make it real. They stand fight for the abused, bring abusers to justice, for the victims of human rights and dignity, the environment, the poor and the indigenous people.
People are resisting peacefully and taking a stand. This is the only real meaning of being a true Christian or a person of principle. Letâs be one with them./PN
