Easter is said to be a Christian celebration; however, if we look a bit deeper, we see that it has a message for all of humanity.
Jesus of Nazareth was a good and kind man who believed in the potential for greatness in each individual.
He was constantly telling his followers to live good, honest lives and to treat other people with the utmost respect.
His message made those who saw the world from an "us against them" perspective very uncomfortable.
It also made those who were selfish and corrupt want to eliminate him.
In the end, Jesus was put to death.
Whether or not one believes in his physical resurrection, the essence of the story of Jesus is that he was not defeated by death, but his message only grew stronger. It is so strong that people continue to embrace it 2,000 years later.
Throughout history the message of Jesus has been relived.
How many times were the innocent, the just, the loving, the good and the wise persecuted by those who perpetrated hate and fear?
When the stories of these heroes are retold, we are all inspired and moved to continue their message of good. When their story is not told, however, we allow hate and fear to perpetuate and continue to destroy.
Speaking the truth is essential in allowing good to triumph.
For example, the world has been very honest in acknowledging the Holocaust.
As a result, anti-Semitism has become unacceptable in most of the world and we have experienced a renaissance of Jewish culture.
By contrast, it has only been since 2008 that the Canadian government has officially acknowledged the crimes against humanity committed toward our aboriginal peoples in the residential schools.
As a result there was no resurrection and statistically members of our First Nations are among the most disadvantaged in our society.
We are beginning to notice signs of new life, however. We are seeing aboriginal culture celebrated and honoured, and as a result, we are seeing signs of healing and rebirth.
There are many parts of the world where the truth continues to be ignored and as a result there is no resurrection, from Armenia to China to Palestine and beyond.
King Leopold of Belgium and his lieutenants were responsible for what many call genocide during the years of the Congo Free State between 1885 and 1908.
This has been largely whitewashed from the history books and as a result we see the same spirit of corruption and violence ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo today.
As Martin Buber says, "One gains power over the nightmare by calling it by its real name."
When we acknowledge evil for what it is, just as Christians tell the story of the execution of Jesus of Nazareth at Easter time, we allow for the powers of good to triumph.
We allow for forgiveness and healing, we bring about new life and allow for truth to triumph.
Regardless of our religious affiliation, this message of Easter is for all of us.
