Letter from the Publisher: The Easter Story is at the Heart of Christianity

This Sunday is Easter, one of the greatest celebrations of the Christian faith. The familiar Easter story is the cornerstone of Christianity. On Good Friday, Jesus Christ was executed by crucifixion. His body was then taken from the cross and buried in a tomb. The tomb was guarded with an enormous stone so that no one could steal his body. On the following Sunday, some women visited the grave and to their amazement, found his tomb empty. The risen Jesus was seen by over 500 people, giving testimony to his claim to be the Son of God, the Savior.

Celebrating his love and resurrection is invigorating to me because there is hope that death can be conquered with Christ. The book of Psalms chapter 34 verse 8 states “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” This verse gives me the comfort and strength to deal with life’s difficulties and the struggles we all face. Life can be stressful at times but we all have to take a step back and smell the roses.

I have relatives that are battling cancer and friends who’s loved ones are barely clinging to life. We turn to doctors who, in many cases, can offer no hope to them. Even with today’s technology, they can’t always solve our problems. Then and there am I reminded of the sacrifice that God made for the world. I turn to the cross and see how God has demonstrated his love to mankind. I am totally bewildered and fascinated by it. I remember an experience I had on a plane heading to Miami, Florida. For some reason, going to Florida always feels like a new experience for me. I’m always captivated by the beauty of the tropical palm trees. I remember tapping a senior sitting ahead of me and commenting on how beautiful the palm trees are. Her reply was “it’s no big deal, I’m used to it.” Then it dawned on me how desensitized we can all become and how easily one can lose perspective of the great things that life offers us.

Regardless of how difficult life can be, I thank God for the opportunity to celebrate Easter once again, for his grace in my life, and the wonderful people around me. I challenge all of you to look at the great things in your life – your family, friends, even your pets, because life is short and extremely wonderful.

The weather will be beautiful this Easter weekend – sunny and warm, maybe in the eighties. Go out for a walk, have a barbeque, and enjoy the beautiful city of Hamtramck. Happy Easter to all!