The observances of Easter is one of the most important and scared festivals of Christianity. The observance which speaks to the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most poignant chapters of Christianity. The festival also brings an end to the Lenten period which sees the faithful engaged in prayer and fasting for a forty day period as they redouble their faith and cleanse their bodies and mind. Indeed, it is a period of deep reverence and is yet another reminder of commitment to our beliefs and the upholding of our scared traditions.
Easter in Guyana has grown to now encompass Guyanese from all walks-of-life, Christians and non-Christians alike. It is punctuated by the dotting of the skies with colourful kites, smiling and happy children and all-round joy and happiness. It sees the coming together of families and friends. And, it is a time of year anticipated by all Guyanese. Indeed, Easter is one of the many high points on the Guyanese calendar of events and is yet another reminder of what makes our nation even more unique and special.
This year’s Easter, of course, will be vastly different from the years gone-by. Our people have been confined to their homes as the coronavirus wreaks havoc not only in Guyana but in every corner of our world. Easter finds, indeed, our world in a state of turmoil and deep anxiety as peoples have grown apprehensive and their normal way of life has been severely curtailed.
As we consider our present-day situation, the enduring message of Easter remains relevant. It reminds us, to some extent, of the challenges Christ and his disciplines faced in their times and the adversities they would have eventually overcome. It is a story of perseverance and the will of people to confront those who seek to thwart what they stood for despite the tall obstacles put in their way. It is also a reminder that even the darkest of periods are only but a period and eventually that will soon pass. Indeed we are confident, like in times before, as peoples have been gripped by one crisis or the other, we again will overcome and persevere and we will become stronger and better for it all.
The lessons of Easter are also instructive for our local situation as well. At this time, when certain forces seek to oppress the will of our people and throw by the wayside of fledgling democracy, the story of Easter reminds us that those who seek to exploit us are never successful. Their nefarious ploys were confronted and roundly defeated as the forces of good and righteous are able to triumph. We remain convinced that those who seek to foist their will on our country will not succeed, their ploys, plots, and plans will be defeated as history and time has thought us.
The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), at this time, extends Easter Greetings to all Guyanese and more especially to members of our Christian Community, both here and around the world, on this most event of the Christian Calendar. For the members of the Christian Community, the Easter story represents the fulfilment of God’s Prophecy that mankind would be offered the hope of eternal life through the sacrificial death of His son, Jesus Christ and His subsequent Resurrection from the dead. It is this faith which has kept the worldwide Christian Church alive and enabled its followers to significantly contribute towards making the earth a better place for all mankind.
