The Press THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1966. Easter

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31029, 7 April 1966, Page 16

The Press THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1966. Easter

Observance of Easter by the Christian churches invites reflection on the meaning of the festival in modem times. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ have a central place in the faith of Christians. They were an example of supreme sacrifice in life and a demonstration, in physical terms, of spiritual life after death. The self-sacrifice of Christ’s agony and death were, according to the Biblical account, avoidable. They were accepted because of an inspired and unshakeable conviction in their rightness and worth. In a broader sense, apart from the meaning for the individual which Christianity lays upon Easter, the spirit of sacrifice for others, founded on a profound conviction, and the spirit of hope, even in the face of death, have stirred many Christians —and nonChristians—to act for the benefit of their fellow-men.

The call for such actions is unceasing. The cause of freedom from tyranny over individual or communal liberty has long evoked sacrifices from those who are no longer oppressed. Sometimes this has meant struggles against oppression by mtn, sometimes against poverty, ignorance, or disease. The basis for such actions is typically, although not exclusively, Christian. Indifference to a challenge to make a sacrifice in the interests of the physical or spiritual well-being of fellow-men is not part of the Christian ethic. Perhaps the greatest modem example of sacrifice based on conviction and hope is the world-wide fight for racial equality. It embraces millions of people: a vast area of social, moral, economic, and political obstacles is the battleground. In the United States the watchword of the Freedom Fighters is, “We shall overcome ” —a phrase evocative of the Easter theme. The two-fold message of Easter is one .which the world, with many imperfections awaiting and capable of correction, cannot ignore.