Easter represents resurrection. Whether you believe in the life story of Jesus or not, resurrection is something we have all undergone at one time or another.
Despite my Buddhist and Muslim background, I was also born and raised in Nazareth. THE hometown of Jesus Christrus. That he ever existed is not a belief for me, it is a fact. I went to St. Joseph's school in Nazareth. From my classroom I looked out on the site of the Mother Mary's house. I have no doubt that this is historically accurate. Just as I can visit the site of Rembrandt's birth in Leiden or the house where Spinoza lived in The Hague.
For me, Jesus is a hero. Someone who went against all existing norms and rules and followed the path of his own heart. He proclaimed love and forgiveness. Despite all his goodness, he was betrayed, he suffered excruciatingly on the cross, days long torture it must have been before he died. But his body was gone the next day because he was resurrected. Even death was not a reason for him to despair. There is much to do, if not on earth, then elsewhere.
Ok, this may be somewhat my own interpretation of Easter, not necessarily the same as that of believing Christians, no offense intended. Yet for me, the resurrection is such a beautiful and powerful message. We are on average about 75 years in the world and we go through a lot, isn’t it? You get what you don't want and you lose what you are attached to. The loss of loved ones, loss of security, loss of your possessions, loss of your innocence, loss of an era in your life, loss of your beauty, loss of your dreams. You get disappointments, conflicts, unwanted drama, annoying colleagues, you get criticized, you are misunderstood, you are bullied, you are not taken seriously, you get a depression or a burnout.
The question is, "then what?" It's hard, it's terrible, it's heartbreaking and it's terribly lonely. All of us have had to go through that at one time or another. Yet we are all still here. We have risen again in spite of all the misery and adversity. We have let the light shine on us again until we could go there gently. We were able to experience happiness again and we became stronger and wiser because of it.
Let this Easter be a celebration of the resurrection of us all. May we always continue to believe in the light, no matter how dark it may be at times. Keep believing in yourself, in your own resilience, the light that resides within you. This too will pass and then you will rise again.
Wishing you a happy Easter (2023) Gaula