Understanding Easter

Is the Easter story
Simply a message of anger,
Brutality, blood, suffering,
And intolerance?
This seems to be what we are hearing
In these days.

The message of Easter
Certainly includes pain, cruelty and death,
But it also includes life,
Hope and devotion.

Above all, Easter is a graphic
Demonstration of love,
The love of God to sacrifice His Son,
The love of Jesus to willingly give His life,
For undeserving
And mostly ungrateful
Mankind.

This year, may we grasp the absolute reality
Of the Easter message
And under the crushing weight
Of guilt and penitence,
Accept for ourselves individually,
The glorious certainty of our salvation
Purchased at such cost on the Cross,
And accept His gracious gift
Of life eternal!

Then, we may know the experience
Of being filled with His Love,
That enables us to love everyone else.

Honoria A. Groves

April 2, 2004

This is my response to some reactions to The Passion Of The Christ movie