Easter is about a deep love that God has for us
"I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; ... For your steadfast love was established forever." (Psalm 89:1a and 2a)
As we celebrate another Easter, we note that at its core Easter is about a deep love that God the Father has for human beings. God gave his Son to live, to preach, to teach, to die, to rise again and to ascend to His Father to bring us all into a new relationship with the Heavenly Father. St. John writes (3:16) that, "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son." It is an enduring love that has implications far beyond the date of the event.
Jesus' dying conquered sin and death and their power over us, allowing us to have forgiveness, newness of life and a constant chance to start over whenever we stumble.
Paul writes that, "God showed His great love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).
The Resurrection is the high point of a relationship and an intention that God had for His children. God gave His only Son for us, even though we did not ask for it or deserve it or realize that we needed it.
This is the true nature of love, and it is symbolic of human life itself. Let us examine the three parts of God's loving intention.
What we did not ask for
Many of us have benefitted from things that we did not actually ask for -- the kindness of a total stranger, the help of a co-worker or relative who anticipates our circumstances and does something to help us before we can ask him/her to. Have we ever heard the famous words, "Don't worry, I already have that covered."
What we did not deserve
A man I once met told me his story. In his younger days he had no time for his family and was always gone, busy doing this or that, involved in all sorts of things. He had been involved in alcohol and drug abuse and in infidelity to the point of neglect, and even abuse of his family. His wife had to struggle and carry the full load of maintaining and sustaining the family. His children resented this deeply and were bitter, and even hostile toward him. Now, in the middle of his life, he is mature and wiser, a changed man who has reordered his priorities dramatically. His children, now adults with their own children, are completely devoted to him. You could not tell that there were 20 years of "hell" in their family life.
This fellow is eternally grateful. He told me that he does not deserve their devotion, their love and forgiveness. Yes indeed, he is still struggling to forgive himself for those years of neglect.
Every one of us has received something that we felt that we did not deserve that we did not realize we needed.
In a home, a child is subjected to certain rules and procedures. When a student goes to university to prepare for a career, or when an employee begins a new job "at the bottom of the ladder", he/she has to be given the basic training, has to be taken through the ropes -- and I mean this in its most positive and constructive sense. Sometimes that child, student or employee has to do things that he/she does not understand, that he/she does not want to do, that he/she considers to be a waste of time or that seems to have no connection to the goal. However, the parent, the teacher, the trained professional and the supervisor know why the subordinate has to learn certain things, and why things ought to be done a certain way. Often the subordinate does not know what he/she needs to learn or that he/she needs to do things a certain way to ensure well-being and full potential in the future.
All of us benefit from the fact that many people in our lives did things for us, the usefulness or value of which, the simple necessity of which we had no concept of at the time. Only now that we are older or that some time has passed, do we appreciate it and thank those people again and again and again and again. I know that I often told my mother, my teachers and mentors, that I could not thank them enough for this or that.
At the time of Jesus' life the human race could never imagine what it was that He came to bring. Now we know, and we thank the Heavenly Father for this great feast of the resurrection that we celebrate.
Dr. James Allan Frances wrote the original version of a poem in 1926 that tells a powerful story of the surpassing value and world-changing nature of Jesus' life. Here is the poem:
One solitary life
A child is born in an obscure village. [His parents are peasant people.] He is brought up in another obscure village. He works in a carpenter's shop until he is 30, and then for three brief years is an itinerant preacher, proclaiming a message and living a life. He never writes a book. He never holds an office. He never raises an army. He never has a family of his own. He never owns a home. He never goes to college. He never travels 200 miles from the place where he was born. He gathers a little group of friends about him and teaches them his way of life. While still a young man, the tide of popular feeling turns against him. One denies him; another betrays him. He is turned over to his enemies. He goes through the mockery of a trial; he is nailed to a cross between two thieves, and when dead is laid in a borrowed grave by the kindness of a friend.
Those are the facts of his human life. He rises from the dead. Today we look back across 1,900 years and ask, What kind of trail has he left across the centuries? When we try to sum up his influence, all the armies that ever marched, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, are absolutely [insignificant] in their influence on mankind compared with that of this one solitary life ...
May God's love for us inspire you this year and always.
The Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands joins me in wishing you and yours a happy and meaningful Easter season.

o The Rt. Rev'd Laish Boyd,
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Oh for a resurrection of sorts

The above headline could be confusing and misleading from a casual look, however, I crave your indulgence by reading the article in order to see my intent. I wish to consider the significant event of Christ's death and resurrection, and secondly, the implications and applications of such for us in 2017, especially as we face a national election within weeks.
A look at the resurrection
That Jesus died and rose is generally accepted among Christians everywhere, so much so that many observe the Lenten season and attend church on Good Friday and on Easter Sunday. However, as I considered the Bible's records of the impact of the resurrection, it is amazing and remarkable to say the least. Fearful disciples who were in hiding, initially for fear of a similar repercussion, became bold and fearless, speaking up to religious and state heads, albeit respectfully, based on their conviction to honor and live for Christ even if it meant death. Declares Peter in Acts 4:10, "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand [crippled man] here before you whole." (KJV). Of course, this angered the authorities so that "they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day" (Acts 4:3 KJV). Nevertheless, Peter and the other apostles are not daunted, for he states in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Without question, the resurrection of Christ made them courageous.
A call to loyalty and godly living
Should not the people of God be equally courageous and loyal to God as we focus on Christ's death and resurrection? Undeniably, we are called to such a commitment and standard, especially given the current season with a national election lurking, and in the midst of various manifestations or questionable gestures and pronouncements surfacing that do not befit us as a people. While finger pointing and character attacking would seem to be the order of the day, we who are Christ's must call for intelligent and responsible discussions and debates addressing issues in our country. In all that we do, we are to live godly and model Christ. One may argue that such Christian standards may not be applied to the nation as it is not a theocracy (a God-ruled nation), and that would be true, but what about the Christian's influence? With such a large presence of professed followers of Christ in the nation, should not that fact have an in kind, positive impact on the nation and our community?
Resurrection speaks to a changed life
There is no doubt that as Christians we ought to participate in the voting process as well as discussions regarding the election, but at a level reflecting Christ, and that we have been transformed "by the renewing of our mind," in light of the resurrection of Christ. Additionally, as noted by Bill Gaither, "Because Christ lives -- all fear is gone." Therefore, we do not compromise our higher calling and principles for earthly gain, position or fame. Jesus has called us to be "light" and "salt", and so fitting is the analogy of light, given the dark nature of situations in the country; for we know that the darker it is, the greater the light shines. When salt is allowed to do its work, it seasons and preserves as well as heals. Such ingredients are most needed in our country, which appears, in some ways, to be spiraling out of control given the lack of conflict resolution at all levels, the troubling murder rate, and other acts of violence and petty crime of the past 10 or more years. Regrettably, the aforementioned paints a picture that does not represent our country comprising of less than 400,000 in population. There is no doubt, that with the high homicide rate many of you reading this article have been adversely impacted by one of the murders over the years. Consequently, we have become fearful of being held up, shot or stabbed for that matter. This in no way reflects what the resurrection was intended to accomplish. As already noted, resurrection was intended to remove fear and replace it with a sense of hope; renewed thinking coupled with positive actions. And this will only happen when we allow Christ to be Lord of our lives and not just Savior.
Accordingly, I appeal to Bahamians and residents throughout the length and breadth of our country to consider a life devoted to Christ. For those who once knew Him, consider a return to godly values and respect for life; consider embracing hard work and selfless service; consider honesty and integrity; consider simple manners and courtesies; consider holding one another accountable; and while we do so, let's not water down truth, thus confusing our children and youth, for their future will be bleak and unpromising. It is my hope that the resurrected Christ can find "lodging" in our country, in our parliament, in our communities, in our businesses, in our churches and personal lives.

-- Dr. Leonard A. Johnson,
President, Atlantic Caribbean Union of Seventh-day Adventists
(Comprising of The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and the Turks & Caicos Islands)

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