The Press THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1967. Easter

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31326, 23 March 1967, Page 14

The Press THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1967. Easter

Easter’s import for the world today and for individual men and women cannot easily be mistaken. Evidence of the life and death of Christ is scanty. It can all be read in a few hours. Easter is the climax of a ministry which lasted only two or three years; and the biblical reports of the last few days of Christ’s life, and of his death, show that the preachers who followed Him sincerely believed that they saw in the events the hand of a higher Power. They recorded what was said and done by a man who, judged even by non-Christians, must be ranked as one of the greatest and most influential figures in human history. In His character were fused the most refined qualities of humanity—qualities needed by men to preserve themselves and each other from destructive and discordant instincts. Christianity is not alone among the great religions in promoting these qualities. Good Friday and Easter Day, however, commemorate —or should bring very clearly to mind —an episode in which the strongest features of the Christian character are most vividly expressed. If the problems of theology are beyond the abilities of most persons to grasp, it may be said with certainty that no attentive person could fail to discern in the evangelists’ reports of the first Easter the essential features of Christian doctrine. If no more profound reason existed, this would be sufficient to justify the celebration of Easter as the greatest festival of the Christian Church. The events of the period concerned prayer, faith, and belief in the Resurrection. They also concerned the need to love, to forgive, to be tolerant, trusting, and trustworthy; to be hopeful, to eschew despair, to condemn hypocrisy, to accept necessary sacrifice, and to confront oppression and injustice. All this is revealed in a brief period of dramatic conflict between men in which integrity and single-mindedness triumph. This compelled attention and inspired allegiance in the small colonial territory of Palestine when many citizens were looking towards a new era to be won through repentance and reformation of character. It remains effective in a vast portion of the world today and continues to mould history. Men of all creeds should reflect upon the meaning of Easter.' In it lie prescriptions to heal many ills.