Easter’s message of rebirth reminds us hope reigns even in these darkest times | Opinion

It’s Easter, a time of hope and new beginnings.

It is significant to me that Easter and Passover usually arrive during springtime, when new seedlings pop their heads up out of the soil and birds prepare their nests for soon-to-arrive hatchlings. And where the signs of new beginnings are evident everywhere.

Yet this Easter, there is a feeling of hopelessness hovering above us, a feeling of despair over what is happening in our country.

Some people are finding it a little hard to be hopeful in the current political climate, where loved ones are being deported — some sorely unfairly — and where there seems to be little or nothing to be hopeful about. Even at Eastertime.

Let me try to lift your spirits. It was about this time of the year, over 2,000 years ago, when it seemed to some that all hope was lost. Jesus Christ, the one who had been born to bring peace on earth, was himself the victim of unfathomable violence.

It was a dark time for Jesus’ followers. But even in what seemed to be the end, some believers still held on to the hope that He had given them, that there would be a resurrection day.

Still, how hurtful it must have been to his followers to watch the man who had healed the sick, had given sight to the blind and had made the lame walk, be mocked and scorned and beaten nearly to death, even before he was nailed to a wooden cross.

As I recount the story of Jesus’ crucifixion in my mind, I wonder how many of the believers in that day still held on to their faith as they watched Jesus, their Savior, be betrayed by one of his own, and later tried in what we would today call a “kangaroo court.” The Bible tells us that through it all, some believers still held fast to their faith.

Still, it must have been a dark day for them as they mourned the loss of the Savior. I believe the thing that gave them hope was the belief that somewhere, deep within their heart, they knew a bright and shinning day— Easter as we know it — was coming. It is the same hope that has been passed down through the ages, to us.

Hope reigns!

Hope reigns even in this harsh political climate we Americans are now experiencing. It reigns even as our hopes for a better America seem to be dashed by this administration. And when signs of history repeating itself ring loudly in our ears.

Hope reigns when our books are banned and when schools are not allowed to teach the real history of our country. Hope reigns because it shows us a way to teach our history in spite of these things.

Hope reigns even more in these times, when the unjust actions of the Trump administration and his so-called executive orders rob families of their lively hood and medical care, leaving the future of America in limbo.

Hope reigns even when our allies — those who have stood with us in wartime and hard times — are so threatened that we’re alienated from them, as we are much of the free world.

These are not the best of times. Even so, they are not the worst of times. America’s soil has been drenched with the blood of innocent men and women who died fighting — at home and abroad — to make this a better country. Now, we are at a place where we must decide if we will stand together under one banner, the banner of justice and freedom for all, or not.

While it is true that already many of us are mourning for the loss of some of our freedoms — freedom from the fear of being deported in error, to name one — we don’t have to give up and walk away whimpering. We can stand strong together and demand justice and what is right for our country.

The key is to not give up. All is not lost. Just as the first Easter brought hope to the world more than 2,000 years ago, I believe even today, that same hope lies deep within each of us. Let us not become victims of this climate of hate and dishonor.

We all know that right now, things are not right in America. But this isn’t our first battle in the war for justice.

While I know that many of you disagree with me when I ask you to pray for our president (yes, I said our president), remember that the Bible tells us to pray for those in authority. President Trump is in authority, and he has placed Elon Musk in a position of authority. I believe it is our responsibility to place them both at the top of our prayer list. Not for evil to come to them, but for God to change the trajectory of their mind.

We don’t have to love the wrong actions of others. But we can love them in spite of them — the Bible tells us to love our enemies and pray for them.

Loving someone who has shown himself to be an enemy won’t be an easy task. But just try it. It isn’t easy for me to pray for someone that I know is trying to destroy the only democracy I have ever known, a democracy that I still have hopes of becoming a better one. But in obedience to God, I pray because I know that obedience is better than sacrifice.

We’ve had battles to fight before. The issues we are facing during this administration are just one more battle we must fight. But while we are fighting, let’s not give up hope. Let’s remember this: We may be going through a dark Friday in America right now, but Sunday is coming!

Happy Resurrection Day!