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Friday, March 29 2024
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An Easter with a difference!

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Oh Lord my God, Why have you forsaken me? That is the question Jesus asked of His Father when He was in excruciating pain after he was nailed to the cross on Good Friday just before he died a score and two thousand years ago. Those crucified but not nailed to the cross near Him, and those standing below watching the crucifixion heard the cry of despair and they too wondered, Yes Why.

The question is on our lips too, in times of great difficulty, of calamity, of extremity, of separation such as now. I’ve asked the question myself a number of times, and today around the world so many must be asking the same question – from Heads of State to Heads of Corporations, from the self-employed to the often forgotten poor migrant labor who may be asking the question several times a day, and those going through physical or emotional pain.

The question is I’m sure, also being asked by Doctors and all those involved in Health care – they are at the biggest risk of contracting Covid19, they are overworked, underequipped and fighting an unknown enemy. They are blindsided by what seems to be a hydra-headed monster – seen only in comics before – but one that is invisible, impenetrable and unfathomable.

Nations around the world have locked down. Some have not, based on their perceptions of the potency of the thief in their midst and faith in their citizens to use precautionary measures – Countries like Sweden. The Economies of countries in lockdown and that is half of those in the world, have collapsed; unemployment has risen to record levels and the way we conducted our lives and our relationships are in tatters. Our previous social and economic goals now seem distant. And that is why we ask the question Oh Lord, My God, Why have you forsaken me?

And the religious – they must also be asking the same question with greater intensity than any of us. They are God’s representatives on earth, in communion with God, and even their supplications like ours are seemingly unanswered. But is it so?

There is fear all around, of the unknown, of the future and of abandonment, by the one divine power we all believed in, the Almighty. For us, He had the power to create, direct, alter and correct. The tragedy is perhaps we forgot the last one – correct.

At the beginning of the Lockdown initiated to fight the spread of the COVID 19 virus, the idea seemed like blasphemy. All we knew was activity, creation of personal wealth and its display, fame and social media approval, material comfort, Quick fixes for food and our well being and rat races. To each his own. That was our life. It was sporadically interspersed with love that went beyond mandated relationships and home-cooked food. Our priorities were based on which rat was how far ahead in the race – it was called benchmarks, our perspectives were different and our connections distant. Life was a roller coaster we did not really enjoy and but could not get off and the best part is we thought its best way, its the only way.

Until perhaps the Almighty asked of us His people – Oh My people, why have you forsaken me?

But let me ask the question – Did the Father abandon Jesus on the Cross? Is the Almighty abandoning us today? Although it may seem like that, the answer is NO.

Jesus suffered humiliation and extreme excruciating pain on the Cross. But he endured – for two reasons – he knew his Father had sent Him to it and he would see him through it. All He had to do was have faith. And He did, despite the pain. And the second, He knew that it was not the end, it was the means to an end – the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. If He suffered, others need not. That is hope, love, and compassion beyond compare.

And so it is today. I read stories of unimaginable suffering. I also read stories of unimaginable compassion and love from across our country. I read stories of courageous decisions and I read stories of willing compliance.

The World as we know it will never be the same. The air is clear and we can hear the birds chirp in our own backyards. Our vocabulary has changed: No more do we hear the words, War, Peace, Terrorist, Bombs, Economy, Unemployment, Missiles, Borders, Army, Climate Change etc. as frequently as before.  Our Political discourse too has changed from being confrontationist to co-operative, if not collaborative. Our priorities have changed, our lives have changed, the way we work and engage with each other has changed. We maintain our distance, but we are more connected. We value our relationships more and our bonds with our communities have strengthened. We have re-learned how to manage our own households, even grow our own food on our terrace gardens. We are upskilling, including in the culinary department. And we find that what matters is not material, but mentality. And finally, we have realized the true potential of Technology – especially the internet.

We have learned to communicate with the Almighty from the comfort of our homes and possibly enter into more intense and intimate conversations with him and it is through these conversations He will know that we have NOT forsaken him. And He will NOT forsake us. This much I know.

I wish all the readers of Newskarnataka a very Happy Easter. An Easter with a difference. An Easter of prayer, compassion, love, and hope.  

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Brian Fernandes

Brian is an alumnus of Roshni Nilaya’s Post Graduate School of Social Work, HR Department and has 30 years of local and international HR and General Management experience. Journalism, poetry, and feature writing is a passion which he is now able to pursue at will. Additionally, he loves compering and hosting talk shows. He loves learning and imparting it; so, when time permits, he provides leadership facilitation and soft skills training to Postgraduate students and Corporates in Mangaluru and Bengaluru. Besides, he is an accomplished Toastmaster under the aegis of Toastamasters.org and a designated Distinguished Toast Master.

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