HAPPY EASTER (PASCHA)

Easter is, for Christians, the new "Pesach", the Jewish Passover, and "Yom Kippur", the Jewish Day of Atonement, together in the New Covenant.

We must on this day call to mind true suffering. The only way I have ever been able to put this into perspective is to imagine my own children, whom I have loved and nurtured, betraying, torturing and killing me. Of course, there the analogy ends, for even though this is unthinkable, it is possible that such a thing could happen and that I would be powerless to stop it.

But Jesus, as true God, had at every point the power to prevent His unthinkable suffering, yet He did not. As true man He feared it, asking that if it be possible, the cup pass from Him. Yet God, in the Person of the Son, Infinite and all knowing, had become man and in perfect union with His Father, He humbled Himself, was hated, betrayed, tortured and killed, so that He might redeem us!

How different a message from that of the world we hear all around us. Self sacrifice for the good of others. Real love is always sacrificial; the willingness to suffer for the good of the person loved. But today we are driven to convenience and the socially accepted idea that no cause and no love is of such importance that it deserves self sacrifice. Instead, we are told that it is acceptable to sacrifice others for our own convenience or to advance our social position. Chuck Schumer, that most vile senator from New York, said today the "far right idea of traditional family values is over".

So, during this Holy Week and on Easter, we see a clear choice. On one hand, the perfect love and sacrifice of our Lord that we might live. On the other, the selfish, self centered culture of hate, abortion, euthanasia and death supported by Senator Schumer, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and so many others. We are asked to choose. What will you choose?

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15