As a Christian, the Easter season can be a humbling time. If ever we needed a reminder of human weakness, the stories of the disciples deliver. We hear about these most loyal followers of Jesus falling asleep during Jesus’ crisis moment of prayer, arguing who is the greatest, selling out for silver, betraying with a kiss, taking up arms and wanting to fight despite Jesus’ call for peace, and then famously denying any association with Jesus and what He stood for.
With friends like that, who needs enemies? Yes, Easter is a reminder that even the best of us can be flawed and weak, especially in the face of an angry and bloodthirsty mob. After 2,000 years, has anything really changed? Would we be any different today?
I hope that we would be, but in these times — and in this election year — many Christians seem willing to abandon their principles for the promise of something big, something fantastic, for the opportunity to express their anger, for retribution against the powers that be, or against people of another type or color.
To honor the life and message of Jesus means standing on the Christian principles of forgiveness, compassion, service to others, opposition to violence and embracing outcasts. These are basic Christian values.
With Easter just passed, I urge fellow Christians to stand firm in the example that Jesus set, and recognize that boasting, violence, dishonesty, and betrayal of the disciples are warnings for us, not traits to emulate.
Greg Rolland
Easthampton