Easter and Compassion

[Guest guest]

Easter Sunday has always been a time to reflect on the resurrection

of The Christ from his physical death upon the cross to everlasting

life. Was Christ an Avatar? I have no idea and does it matter? No,

no really. What matters is his teachings and his ultimate example of

dying horribly on a cross to save mankind. (womankind too.)

 

Was Christ a Christian? - no he was Jewish and came from the line of

David. Jesus walked among the poor teaching them not to become holy

or good, nor indeed how to get to heaven. He taught them rather how

to live a good life in the here and now.

 

Two examples of his teachings I would like to add to this message -

two examples I have remembered from childhood.

 

One: "Seek God first then everything else will be added to you."

 

This means first find God within, and once found, God will empower

you with all worldly goods, all worldly powers seen and unseen.

However, having found God, worldy matters will not be satisfactory

as nothing can give the bliss of being one with God.

 

Two: Jesus on one particular day decided to eat at the house of

Levy, a rich collector of taxes.

 

His disciples were appalled that Jesus sat down to eat with lowly

tax collectors. They asked him why did he broke the law to eat with

such men?

 

Jesus replied to his disciples:

 

"I have not come for the good or the whole, but I seek those that

are sick and unwhole. I am a physician and to sit with tax

collectors pleases me."

 

Here I quote from memory and not from the Holy Bible. I have not put

down the chapter or verse as they escape my memory at the moment.

 

There is at present a new film about Christ's Passion. I have not

seen it nor do I wish to do so as it is so bloody. But death in

those days was bloody and brutal - and by no means should we blame

anyone, no matter what their creed, for what happened so long ago.

 

In fact there was another even more brutal death, that of St. Peter

who died upside down upon a cross in a Roman arena.

 

Jesus had said to his then lowly disciple, "Peter, upon your body I

will build my church."

 

St.Peter's bodily remain's, I believe, are buried in the crypt of

St.Peter's Basicical in Rome. That beautiful church is named after

this once lowly fisherman.

 

- Amen