Today we celebrate life from death, victory from defeat, and happiness over sorrow. Yet, wile celebrating life, there still exist deaths, defeats and sorrows around us. Today is also a day to remember those who are suffering, those who, against their will, experience unbearable pain, deep sorrow and profound anguish.
As we partake our Easter meals, or for some, ordinary meals for the day, there exists countless people experiencing hunger- men scavenging for left over foods in the garbage for their family, women selling their bodies for just one meal and innocent children crying their hearts out because of this hunger. As we lay peacefully on our beds, there exist those who are in the midst of wars and calamities: those living in fear- of little children traumatized, parents worrisome, families broken and people disoriented in a time where everybody else is dreaming. We are secured and enjoying the stability of our own homes and beds, yet there are those who fall victim to human justices and illnesses. As we say our prayers, there are those who cannot express their faith publicly or as we enjoy intellectual discussions and maybe just simple conversations, there exists people bounded by tyranny, punished for exercising their rights. Places of deep sorrow and misery are real. The world is still full of scenes that depict Christ’s way to Calvary.
For us, it would just be one Good Friday, one Holy Week or 40 days of Lent but for many people, they are living a life of Calvary all throughout. Our stomachs growl with just one meal skipped or we feel deprived abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent; we curse when our sleep is disturbed and we feel bad when our sleeping time is delayed; we feel guilty when we forget to pray or we feel hurt when our opinions don’t count. Imagine those people. Imagine a lifetime of Good Fridays.
Yet, Good Friday is supposed to be a promise of resurrection, of rising from one’s suffering, of gloriously surpassing death to life. The season of Lent is over but we can still hear cries of misery and suffering. It is inutile for us to remember, to pause and reflect and to be depressed with their condition. It is selfish of us, very selfish of us, to move on to the Easter of our lives without them. Everyone should concretely, tangibly, realistically experience resurrection just as Jesus did, just as we did. The challenge now is to be willing to share the Good Fridays of others and be that bridge, a selfless bridge to that beautiful, alive and graciously-filled Sunday of Easter.
Happy Easter, everyone!
