Easter
Easter is here again, for many Christians it is a time to reflect on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and a time to pull closer to their religion. In some parts of the world Easter is celebrated with great reverence, there is the full re-enactment of the story of Christ, where people literally carry a heavy crossbon their shoulders to show the struggles that Jesus went through. The fact that he resurrected from the dead in the end to ‘save mankind’ is at least an end to the story that brings us hope rather than gloom.
As we also go through our own struggles, the message from the story of Jesus (pbuh) is that we can overcome our struggles by remaining firm and steadfast and by showing the willingness to sacrifice for what we want. As they say, nothing in life comes easy and Easter is a reminder of that. But Easter also teaches something far more inspirational and that is the value of selflessness. Reflecting on the story of Jesus (pbuh) it is clear that he made the ultimate sacrifice not just to save himself, but for the benefit of all mankind. Whether we believe in his story or not, the message is indeed important and is especially relevant today. In today’s world we see so many acts of greed and selfishness where so many are working to improve their own life and to satisfy their own desires. It is fair to say that this attitude to life is characteristical of Western Industrial Nations such as the UK, USA, France and much of Western Europe. As the cultural domination of the Western ideals spread to all corners of the earth, this self-centred approach of gratifying and serving our own self-interest is slowly being spread to other parts of the world, especially those areas that are easily influenced by the West.
I am not arguing that Western culture is all bad, as there is good and bad in every culture and in every society. What I am saying is that the Western self-centred or individualistic approach is slowly destroying the message of Christianity and its noble teacher, Jesus Christ. The attitude of ‘I am in it only for me’ and not doing something without trying to ask: ‘what is in it for me?’ The fact that the West is designed in a manner where families live separate lives only meeting on odd occasions. Where gaining a job, a career and earning money to improve yourself is seen as some of the most important things in life, is suddenly confronted with the self-less teachings of Jesus Christ, who stated that we should not only think about ourself, but should place our self-interest aside and become more self-less, more caring and more loving human beings. This is the essence of the message that Jesus Christ, brought to the world and it is one of the reasons that I fully support him.
So far, I have spoken mainly about the religious aspect of Easter, since after all this is the entire reason why we have this festival. But for many people Easter serves another purpose. It is seen as a time to relax, eat Easter eggs, playwith Easter Bunnies, go to parties, take long Easter vacations (if you can still afford it) and attend the latest party!!! The party scene booms during the Easter period and if you happen to live in America then the Easter Break is one that many young people look forward to as they visit tropical areas of the world, especially the Caribbean and Latin America, to soak up the sand, sea and sun and to revel in the carnival spirit of this period. With all this in mind, I wonder where the message of Easter has gone and does anyone really cares?
For those of you who are interested in religion, then they will see that there is a decline of the Christian teachings in the Western World. Secularism is on the rise and Christianity seems to be like the sun, slowly setting. Of course this is not true for all areas, but one only has to take a look at the church attendance records within the last decade, especially in some of the more traditional churches such as Roman Catholic or the Church of England to realise just how low the attendance figures have become. The Pope warned that a world without religion is a world without value and in his Easter Sunday message today the Archbishop of Canterbury warns that the UK is slowly becoming a country which is turning its back on Christianity. I do not have the space in this blog to delve into the reasons for the decline in Christianity, but can only refer to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught, selflessness, love and forgiveness. He also taught that life should be shaped by the command of God. But, slowly we can see that even the concept of ‘God’ is being challenged in today’s society, where it is increasingly common to question the existence of this ‘All-Powerful God’. However, through all this we should remember that Western values is in fact Christian values. The Western World is largely a Judeo-Christian world and as such the values of the West: tolerance, respect and honesty is shaped by the doctrine and teachings of Jesus Christ. There is another issue here, which is that the West is not totally neglecting the idea of ‘God’ but seem to be moving away from the control and structure of traditional religions and are seeking other ‘less-formal’ ways of expressing their spirituality. Many have found these through the teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism and even Islam, some have become committed to the usage of yoga and meditation to reach out to their ‘inner-self’. Others engage in ‘nature worship’, others become ‘pagans’. The fact of the matter is that as time goes by people change and some people will seek the opportunity to review and change their religious beliefs.
So what is the entire purpose of Easter and does it matter? The truth is that Easter is not a Christian festival no where in life of Christ did he ever give Easter Eggs, or played with Easter bunnies, but these practices existed paganism and as such much of what we regard as Easter today, is nothing more than a combination of pagan teachings interwined with Western customs and beliefs. However whatever the true origins of Easter may be, the story and essence of Easter seems to be largely positive as it reminds us of the life and teachings of a self-less and humble man, Jesus Christ; who was willing to give all he had for the upliftment and improvement of humanity. in this respect, Jesus should be regarded as an example for us all, irrespective of our religion, customs or belief.
The Royal Wedding 
The Royal Wedding is just around the corner, next week Friday to be exact and I have heard that billions of people will be watching on the TV, internet and wherever they can. If you happen to live in the UK, then the day of the Royal Wedding has been designated as a national holiday. Weddings are times for celebration and happiness and I enjoy seeing young people coming together. The fact is however, that weddings in churches is in decline and the divorce rates especially in the Western Industrial Nations such as the USA and the UK, is on the increase. We saw where Princess Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles ended in disaster and I am hoping that at a time where there is such gloom in the world that this couple and every other young couple who are getting married, will enjoy a long-lasting, fulfilling and happy marriage. Marriage is the ultimate bond, it gives us the opportunity to work with our partner to build a stable family and allows us to share our life with someone special. In this respect it could be that marriage is also a self-less act. So I really do hope and pray that the Royal Wedding and all other weddings, especially where young people are involved; will be successful!
World Affairs
Within all these celebrations, (Easter, Royal Wedding, Holidays), the troubles are still dominating parts of the Middle East and North Africa. As a Muslim, I think personally that it is embarrassing and unlawful (haram) to see what is occurring, whereby Muslims are killing other Muslims, women are being raped and even children and innocent people are being killed! The unrest in Libya is still continuing and soldiers have opened fire killing many protesters in Syria and Yemen, not to mention the less publicised atrocities that is taking place in Bahrain. A side conflict is happening in Uganda, where we have heard that people are protesting against the rising cost of living and corruption in the country. In Nigeria there is still sectarian killings following the recent re-election of President Good luck Jonathan. We have also heard of a conflict developing between Thailand and Cambodia, along the borders of the country. It is clear from all these conflicts that mankind is still struggling to live in Peace. The good thing is that many are still fighting for a better future and our thoughts, prayers and support are with them all.
By: I-Man- Review Blogger.
Filed under: Review4Students Views & Updates
