By ROBERT JUMPER
ONE FEATHER EDITOR
Faith is a very personal thing. By definition, faith requires an individual decision. No one can make you believe anything, it is a personal, free will choice.
Now, people may lay out a case for you to believe a certain way and others may debate that you should believe just the opposite, but the choice is yours.
Historically speaking, we will celebrate a “holiday” this weekend, and it is impossible to discuss it without speaking of faith; that being Easter.
According to the Holy Bible, Easter is the day that Jesus Christ resurrected from the grave. Prior to being entombed, Christ lived for 33 years and, during the last three years, cultivated a ministry of faith, making a case for being the son of God. He performed miracles of matter creation and alteration, healing, resurrection of the dead. He taught, expounded and expanded the words of the Old Testament. All of this is according to the Holy Bible.
The basis for his teachings was that anyone who believed or believes in him as the son of God would have eternal life in heaven. He told his listeners that God loves mankind so much that he sent his son to atone for the sins of all mankind so that mankind could have that eternal life, simply by believing in the son and what he was about to do. There were those who argued that Christ was not the son of God and were angered that he was allowed to make his case to the public. So, he was arrested, mocked, severely beaten and crucified (on your calendar the date of his crucifixion is listed as “Good Friday”) on a Roman cross.
His body was entombed. Before he died, he said that he would rise from the grave as further proof of who he said he was. Those who opposed him thought he had planned with his cohorts to make his body disappear after his death to make it look like he rose from the grave. Roman guards were stationed at the tomb to ensure none of Christ’s followers could make it happen. Yet even with the guards present, a large stone sealing the only entrance to the tomb, Christ was not in it on the third day, now known as Easter Sunday. After that day, and for several days, there were multiple reports of sightings of Christ in the Holy Land. People reported seeing him, talking to him, and touching him. Again, all this information is recounted from the Holy Bible.
This is the historic reason that the holiday of Easter is celebrated. Whether you believe or not is a matter of personal faith. Easter may have deep meaning for you or it may just be a good opportunity for you to wear a bonnet or hunt for colored eggs in the backyard. As one great theologian once commented, he wrestled with the words of the Bible and the realities of the world and society until he came to a point where he simply had to make a choice as to either believe or not. Whatever your decision is when it comes to faith, I hope you have a safe, peaceful, thoughtful Easter weekend.
