The Chairman of the Barbados Christian Council, the Rev. Dr. Cicely Athill-Horsford, has issued a stirring Easter message urging Barbadians to embrace the spirit of renewal, love, and justice, while confronting violence and divisions affecting the nation.
In her address, Rev. Dr. Athill-Horsford reflected on the events of Holy Week and the true meaning of Easter, acknowledging that while many rejoiced during sacred observances, others were gripped by pain, violence, and disconnection. She called on the nation to view the resurrection of Christ as a symbol of constant inspiration and transformation, particularly in troubled times.
Below is the full Easter message from the Chairman of the Barbados Christian Council:
Christ is risen; indeed He is risen!
As Chairman of the Barbados Christian Council, I share with all Christian friends and spiritual people the joy that comes at Easter time. Last Sunday we celebrated Palm Sunday, the Sunday of Hosanna, the Sunday of popular praise of the Lord Jesus Christ as He entered Jerusalem in absolute humility while being praised as The King of all. For us in Barbados it was a joyful participation in a very sacred observance – sweet jubilation with deep reverence. But we were aware that not all people in Barbados were joining in the blessed celebration. Some were unfortunately causing pain and some were also hurting from pain caused by hurters. And so, the result was that on the day of spiritual rejoicing many who should have been happy were sad.
The rest of Holy Week followed Palm Sunday, and solemnity was expected to take over. Yet in our beloved country the solemn occasion was changed by its opposite, frivolous feting, or by another extreme – violence. Therefore for many of us, Holy Week turned out to be a not so holy experience.
And so we come to Easter, with its mix of mournful sadness and high happiness. As the Scriptures tell us, on the first day of the week our Risen Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Mary, to His Disciples while they mourned believing that He was still dead but they should have been happy, and they became happy when they saw the Lord alive. With Easter, joy comes in the morning, to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
At Easter, we gather together to celebrate this mystery, of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We reflect on the ways that this narrative manifests in our lives, in acts of love, purpose and justice. May this time continue as a source of constant inspiration. We continue to aspire towards a bright, nurturing, prosperous future, towards diversity, hope, inclusion, intention, transparency. May our hope, passion, love and acceptance, afforded to us through the example of Jesus Christ, continue.
As expressed in our Lenten Devotions over the past weeks, when we lead with love, we see that love is the lens through which God sees us. We see that love, expressed and shared. We see in Jesus that our God understands our sorrow and suffering, comes alongside us in comfort and healing. God continually beckons us to exercise and model compassion and justice.
With this confidence and faith, we (churches) are in a state of constant renewal. Each nestled in our communities, when called to action, our faith places us in the face of national, regional and international events to be decisive, to rise above words and acts of hatred and violence, to withstand threats to the harmony and peace that our communities so deserve.
Christ calls to us, to love our neighbours, live in peace, reconcile our difference, restore human dignity, and elevate the spirit of Christ in our community. We stand against oppressing young people. We reject classism, racism, gender-based discrimination, and all hate speech. We who are Christian embrace Jesus’ message of love of people of all ages and cultures.
As we gather at Easter to remember the promise of this moment, allow Christ’s presence of love and hope to fill you up in ways that allow you to share with all in our families, churches, communities, in this nation and beyond these shores.
Blessed Easter, Christ is Risen indeed.
