Easter – A time for Reflection and Hope

Last Sunday, April 14, Palm Sunday, congregations from Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Salvation Army and Spiritual Baptist congregations held early morning ecumenical services around the country, during which palms were blessed and distributed.

After these ceremonies, the worshippers processed to their different places of worship. These crowds, as they processed, enabled one to imagine the scene when Jesus rode majestically on a donkey on his way to Jerusalem, adored by crowds waving palm leaves.

This signalled the beginning of Holy Week, the week of the Passion. During this week, many in our community re-enacted the story (Stations of the Cross) of the closing days of the life of Jesus leading to his death and finally the triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Easter is therefore a time for reflection and is a sign of hope. This period should be looked upon as a breathing space when we reflect on our lives, and certainly on the state of our nation and our world.

Anytime we reflect on life, the result may be despair, hope or anything in between.

Easter is the season when Jesus triumphed over death and despair, so at this time, we choose to be hopeful and joyful, above everything else.

With the recent openings of substantially improved health facilities at Georgetown, Chateaubelair, Buccament and Marriaqua, we are hopeful. We are optimistic that these new clinics and hospitals will spark renewed commitment among our health care workers so that their services will be rendered in a manner commensurate with the physical structures, so much so that healing and well being among their clients will be promoted. We are also hopeful that the facilities will be well maintained and stocked by Government and that those who seek care there will consider the payment of user fees part of their national duty.

We are hopeful too, about the recent developments in our energy sector. We are optimistic that the exploratory drilling at the geothermal site at Rabacca will find that we have an abundant, easily accessible source of energy, of good quality. Our lead story on the front page describes the advances being made in the utilisation of photovoltaic technology at our power plants, particularly on Union Island and Mayreau. So, when capacity from geothermal and solar units are added to that of our traditional hydro plants, we can be hopeful that within the next few years, we would have substantially moved away from diesel energy to cleaner, more sustainable production of electricity, a model in the Caribbean.

After years of lamenting an out of control murder rate in our small country, we are thankful that one third of the year has passed with only one killing suspected of being a murder.

So there is much reason to be joyful, and hopeful. Joy is the Christian approach to life. Our hope and faith sustain us even when things go wrong. Jesus’ triumph over death at Easter strengthens our ability to have this approach to life.

A blessed Easter to everyone.