An Easter Message for a Crucified People

by Rev. Dr. S. J. Emmanuel, March 20, 2008

On Easter Sunday Christians all over the world celebrate the Rising of Jesus from death. It was the culmination of God becoming man, bringing the good news of liberation of man from his sins and slaveries, paying the price for redemption through his suffering humiliation, false accusations, unjust judgments, stripping and torture at the hands of Roman soldiers and religious leaders, and final crucifixion between criminals on Calvary. On the third day this Jesus rose from his death - establishing a final victory over sin, slavery and death.

Christians celebrate these events this week, crowning them all with the supreme Feast of their Faith - Belief in a new Risen Life!

We Tamils have been much misunderstood, unjustly accused, heaped with death, destruction and displacements - all these at the hands of Tamil-Judases betraying one another for few silver-pieces, of governments proclaiming to be democratic and sovereign, of soldiers claiming to be liberators and protectors and of religious leaders professing to follow a peaceful religion. Even the High Priests and international Pilots pass false judgments on us as mere terrorists and the super-powers concerned only about their profits fail to do justice to our cause. We have reached the limits of our human strength and pushed to desperation and dejection. But we will not relax or relent till we achieve the final victory.

As a crucified people going through excruciating pain and ignominious agony, let us for a moment look at Jesus on the Cross, crucified by the Roman authorities as well as by his own people. Our suffering and crucifixion is caused not only by the external evil forces, but also by the evil forces within our own community.

While strengthening ourselves with the belief in the final victory of Truth over falsehood, of Justice over injustice and of Freedom over slaveries, let us remind ourselves of the various slaveries within our Tamil community and resolve to free ourselves from them. Only then do we become less unworthy to enjoy the liberation that we aspire from external enemies.

May the God of Life and Liberation, who freed the Israelites from the  Egyptian bondage and babylonic exile, the God who raised up his Son Jesus after his suffering, death and burial into an everlasting Risen Life, hasten to grant us all - the liberation we thirst for - to be a free people, devoid of all slaveries - both from within as well from without.

Wishing you all happy and meaningful Easter!