'Happy Easter'

JESUS HAS RISEN!
Like a flame burning brightly that cannot be dimmed.
Like a fragrant aroma dispersed by the wind.
The Good News is spreading, it won't be denied.
Yes. Jesus has risen He's now glorified
- Randy Vader, on the piece of church bulletin/ order of worship that was handed to me this morning ;-)

I have to admit, as i got myself to church this morning, i was pretty dazed and sleepy. The church was full of people as it was Easter, some were regulars, some were making it a point that this was an important event that they could not afford to miss. In my heart i was thinking about the service which i attended on Good Friday. It was touching. It had the theme called 'The Nails of the Cross', which basically, is why Christ died for us. For each 'Nail' (represented by a sin of man), came an example and reflection/ response. I guess at the end of it (the service), i could not help feeling that there was NO OTHER WAY that Christ could have saved us. It was ugly to imagine that the same crowd that welcomed him so joyously during his Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem were also the ones who turned ugly during the prosecution, torture and crucifixion of Christ.

There was 'The Nail of Pride', which was basically our human pride and where it leads, mirrored in the scribes of the time, who loved to earn the respect of the community by being pretentious and 'outwardly holy'.

'The Nail of Betrayal', seen in the actions of one of Jesus' followers, Judas Iscariot who handed him over to the authorities. He gave the sign that Jesus was the one to be captured by kissing him. Also it is seen when we abandon those in times of need, and how we think about ourselves before others.

'The Nail of Envy', which is how we desire more than we receive and seek to influence and rule over others. The example given was a family named Zebedee, where the mother came to Jesus with her 2 sons and asked him to assure them places in the Kingdom of God and how ten of Jesus' disciples were angry with the 2 brothers.

'The Nail of Indecision', which was how Pilate reacted when faced with the angry mob who wanted Jesus crucified. He had a criminal named Barabbas who was released (the chief elders and priests persuaded the crowd to demand it...). He was too scared to go against the crowd's decision that he 'took some water and washed his hands', saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to his crucifixion yourselves." This is mirrored in our own lives when we waver, how we seek to avoid responsibilty and blame others for our actions.

'The Nail of Cruelty', which is how we are cruel to others, how me malign and slander them and add to the evil that comes upon them. Example: Right before Christ was crucified, the soldiers took Jesus into the governor's HQ, and gathered in a group around him, stripped him down and put a robe around him, mocking him by making a crown with twisted thorns, giving him a reed to hold, knelt before him and said, "Hail, King of Jews", after which, they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head with it. Even the ones passing by had something hurtful to say, as they shook their heads, "You who would destroy the temple and build it within 3 days, save yourself!". I could hardly think of anything but the pain of Him who was there.

Lastly came 'The Nail of Hatred' which is how we show hate to others, how we fail to care for them and how we make distinctions between them. This was shown in Luke 6: 22, 32-35 where Jesus basically says that it is always the common action to love the ones whom love you, to care for the ones who care for you; Anyone could do that. But to love your enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return: The reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

On friday, each of us (who went for the service) literally had to hammer a nail on a cross.A symbolism of us crucifying our Lord, and He, having die the death on the cross and resurrecting on the 3rd day, could save us if only we believed in Him and live a life worthy of Him. I had never done it. But yet i 'placed' all the things which was holding me back from becoming what God wanted me to be, in that nail. And struck it. In my head sometimes i feel like i'm doing it all over again, repeating the wrongs, falling down again and again. Nailing my bad side to the cross again and again. Forcing Him to be crucified again and again. This is my struggle. It has been for a while. Yet i hope that i can change, that i can be better. Because no matter what God loves. And it is me that's keeping me back (Doesn't everyone?).

Back to today. I was so head shot (i had fallen asleep a bit again during the sermon), that i missed almost the whole thing. It keeps happening to me: I take things for granted. And today was almost like any other day for me, except that Jesus rose from the dead, and Christians all around the world celebrated it. That His Death saved us all. That he had to become our sin for us to live. It's hard to understand this concept. I would give you a million illustrations and none of them would be a good example, but roughly, i hope you can get it. I was enjoying the breakfast after the service and had some meetups with friends who came back for 'Cheng Beng'.

*Note: I'm one not to talk much about 'Mainstream' things. Hence, if you'd noticed, Easter wasn't explained much here. The events that happened before Easter Sunday keeps getting smaller in the background i believe, no one really talks about them anymore, as if to skip the ugly and move to the beautiful; to take the easy and leave the difficult.

Thanks for being here.