After the exciting period of Lent and Easter we are now preparing for the Ascension and Pentecost celebrations. The reflections on the passion of Christ were ever more pertinent this time too because several people across the world could identify themselves with the passion narrative. People who are victims of authoritarian regimes, of religious fundamentalism, of unfair trials and judicial systems, of thwarting truth to appease masses, of cruelty and violence authenticated through illegitimate power, of systemic mockery… all of them could identify with what was happening in the passion and death of Jesus.

The burial of Jesus in the empty tomb and the stone rolled over to cover the tomb symbolised broken hopes and shattered dreams. All the visions that they had woven around Jesus being the Saviour had fallen apart. The future seemed bleak and dark. It is herein that the women who went to anoint the body returns with the exciting news- We have seen the risen Christ. It is worth pondering over what resurrection means in our lives today.

Easter redefines Eternal Life

In the scientific temper it is but natural that we define life within the span chronologically between the womb and the tomb. However, resurrection deconstructs this concept. The fact that Jesus’ prayer- Father into your hands I entrust my spirit- before he died points to the reality that life is a precious gift of God and the time that we have here on earth need to be prudently and wisely invested so that we could happily return that to the Creator and be assured of eternal life that never ceases.

The affirmation of eternal life gives us a perspective beyond the grave and therefore a motivation to make life “here and now” more meaningful. The impactfullness of our lives is dependent on how much we value our lives as a gift from God. It constantly reminds us of the temporal nature and temporariness of the here and now and the eternal nature of the beyond. Life here therefore must be lived in love, in truth and in justice since time is too short and too precious to be wasted in destructive thinking and action.

Transcendence of our physical existence and the awareness of the continuity of consciousness constantly challenges us to live purposefully and meaningfully in harmony with all of creation.

Easter redefines Eternal Hope

When people go through rough seas and when the boat rocks and seems like sinking what makes them keep on keeping on is the hope that the sea would be calm again and life could go on smooth. Hope is a powerful ingredient of resilience. It must be noted that Jesus kept warning his disciples that the Son of Man would undergo great suffering, will be rejected, mocked, and killed. He also constantly gave them the message of hope that on the third day he would rise again. But in the trauma of the pain of the cross, amidst the betrayal, denial and fleeing, they could never grasp the essence of resurrection hope. But Jesus after resurrection meets them and shows them his wounds and helps them understand that there is hope even beyond the most hopeless situations of life.

Hope is that flicker of light that can transform even the darkest spaces and moments in life. It is that deep self-belief that however painful today can be there is always the possibility of the tide turning over for good in the next days. It constantly whispers to us not to give up even in the most difficult curves in life. It journeys with us through hard times, keeps telling us not to give up amidst uncertainties and keeps on showing us that the sun is rising beyond the horizons. It helps us not to succumb to despair but instead weave the tapestry of resilience amidst difficulties.

The very fact that the Risen Christ kept coming back to them blessing them with Peace helps us traverse any journey of the passion with hope. It also helps us gain strength even in contexts of death, since we are then sure even death is not the end but there is hope beyond. The future full of possibility and promise keeps beckoning us even in long and winding tunnels and we are confident that the Risen Lord is not only inviting us to that future but also is co-sojourning with us, strengthening us and guiding us,

Easter redefines Eternal Joy

One of the basic pursuits of human existence is happiness or joy. People seek joy in several spaces. While some think material possession is the key to joy, others think purposeful relationship is the essence. Some find joy in hobbies, in habits, in nature, in creativity or even in religion. However, in many cases these experiences of joy is temporary. Easter talks about the joy that Christ brings. The meeting with the risen Lord was an experience of great joy that filled the heart of the disciples. They realised that this joy and the peace that came with it can now not be easily taken away from them since they knew that the Risen Lord would be with them all the way from then on. It filled their lives with purpose and mission. They launched out telling the whole world the good news of salvation- We have seen the Risen Lord.

Eternal joy is embedded in a profound sense of justice, truth and above all love that fills a person with compassion and empathy. It helps one connect easily with the other and their needs and seeks harmony and balance in life.

The eternal cosmic narrative of a divine choreography in all of us is what joy helps one to seek and this would add meaning and direction to the participation in the making of God’s future.

May the post Easter journey of all of us help us understand these nuances of eternity better thus making our lives filled with profound and deeply fulfilling understanding of Life, Hope and Joy.

Vinod Victor

April 1, 2024