Easter Sunday, March 31, 2002                                      


                   Easter was originally celebrated in April as a festival honoring the goddess of light or spring.  But for most of us it is an annual church festival commemorating Jesus' resurrection, and occurring on Sunday, the second day after Good Friday. It corresponds to the pasha or Passover of the Jews, and most nations still give it this name.  No matter what our religious beliefs or our beliefs about Jesus, the goddess of light or spring or the observance of Passover signifying the Hebrews exodus from Egypt, "resurrection" is the basis of celebration behind each of these significant events.

              The festival honoring the goddess of light or spring, celebrated the renewal of life which could be observed by looking at the activity of nature in the spring; seeds sprouting into life, flowers beginning to bloom and leaves appearing again on the trees.  The Hebrews exodus from Egypt was a step toward the beginning of a new life, leaving the old bondage and limitations behind.  Jesus' resurrection signified that Life is not subject to the physical and that we are indeed created in the image and likeness of God; Spirit, Life and Truth, and this Life does not end with the physical death.  The physical body can be crucified, but consciousness cannot.  This was the demonstration of the greatest Truth man can realize; Life is God and there is no Power, Presence or Intelligence other than God.  As we realize this in our consciousness, we can begin to revitalize our life, renew our vigor and regain our strength (confidence and self-assurance), in other words we can experience the "resurrection" at any time.

             Everyone has made mistakes, even the Rabbi Jesus.  In the beginning of his work he was adamant that he would only teach the Jews his message of salvation.  He judged the Gentiles as impure and unworthy of the blessings of God.  In the Book of Mark we can read, "And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid.  But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet.  Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth.  And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  And he said to her, "Let the children (Jews) first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs (Gentiles or non-Jews)."  But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."  And he said to her (understanding that she had caught him making a harsh judgment), "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."  And she went home, and found the child lying in the bed, and the demon gone.

           Had Jesus continued in his judgment of who was and who was not deserving of the blessings of God, most likely he would not have mastered his own consciousness and therefore would not have demonstrated the resurrection.

            This is the "resurrection" that most of us must be concerned with.  We must "resurrect" the idea that we can "overcome" any situation or condition that we find ourselves in by recognizing the Power, Presence and Infinite Intelligence that lies within us.  We must move out of the bondage and limitations of judgment, bitterness, resentment and the memories of past mistakes.  As we realize that we have been living under false beliefs and assumptions, as did Jesus when confronted with the Gentile woman, we must not dwell in the mistake, but "resurrect" the idea that we are living in the One Life that God Is and in this One Life is all things necessary to move us into a greater experience of Life, Love and Confidence!  We can bring the joy of living back into our experiences.  It has always been there.  All we must do is be willing to get out of the way and let it be resurrected!

           We can stubbornly remain in our judgments, in our old beliefs and our old mistakes and decisions, it is an option.  But then, "resurrection is an option too!"

 And So It Is! 
                                                            
Letting Love use me in Its own Good Way,
Henry Lee Bates