Ryan Hadeed
Oh how the time flies. It seems like only yesterday we were in the midst of Christmas, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. And now, only four months later, here we are on Easter Sunday, the culmination of Holy Week that encompasses his death and resurrection. If there's one positive thing about being a cosmopolitan society, it's the abundance of religious holidays. Regardless of whether you subscribe to the supernatural mumbo jumbo that's involved, a day off is something we can all look forward to. But while we in T&T are enjoying an exceptionally long weekend, for the worldwide Christian community this day embodies a central tenant of their faith. Just as it marks the start of the liturgical year, the promise of life after death holds the chance for new beginnings. It's an opportunity to remind ourselves that it's never too late to start afresh and do what's needed to overcome the mistakes that we've made.
When compared to its December counterpart, Easter tends to fare a lot better when it comes to maintaining observance amongst the faithful. The 'Man from Nazareth' doesn't have to share the season with a sleigh-riding fat man who dispenses gifts, and a chocolate-egg-bearing bunny can hardly be considered a worthy rival. Putting the comparison aside, I must admit to having a certain preference for Easter. As a student of classical history and archaeology, it's an occasion where the academic and spiritual aspects of my life come together. Along with offering up extra prayers, I enrich myself with documentaries and journal articles on a multitude of topics relating to the event; from 'Roman foreign policy in Judea', 'crucifixion methodology', to 'the true face of the Messiah'.
While the narrative focuses primarily on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus, I find my attention drawn to the actions of his disciples Peter and Judas. If one were to ignore the before-mentioned religious and supernatural themes, their individual roles bring a profoundly human element that is easily relatable to by the common man. If we put ourselves in Christ's shoes, we are confronted with the worst forms of betrayal from those who are supposed to serve our best interests.
Peter, who was ordained as the 'Rock of the Church', trice denies his association with Jesus out of fear for his own life. However, he goes on to become the most vocal of the apostles; serving as the bishop of Rome and recognised by Catholics as the first pope. Following his own 'unique' crucifixion, he was bestowed the sanctified honour of stewardship over heaven's gate. Judas, who was fated to deliver his rabbi into the hands of the enemy, remains one of history's most infamous characters, and his name has become synonymous with traitors. So vilified is he that the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, in his 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy, places Judas in the lowest level of hell where he is eternally tortured by Lucifer himself.
Yet, despite their contrasting destinies, the Christian emphasis on 'turning the other cheek' means that both men, despite the nature of their crimes, deserve to be forgiven. The gospels tell us that they were remorseful for what they had done, with Judas' guilt being so extreme that, according to the Book of Matthew, he committed suicide. Their examples should encourage us to entertain the vice versa notion that there can be no forgiveness without a show of humility, and no humility without knowing forgiveness awaits.
It would appear that now more than ever, our nation is beset by self-righteous leaders who lack any measure of contrition. Whether they be teachers berating their students, politicians who engage in nepotism, or religious authorities who are disconnected from their parishioners. Their failures are disappointing to say the least, and deeply wound the faith that we place in their ability to execute the duties entrusted to them. For once, I would like any one of them caught 'in flagrante delicto' (Latin: in blazing offence) to apologise–to say, "I'm sorry." It by no means absolves them. But in order to restore the public's confidence, they must abandon the practice of spewing golden-tongued speeches filled with falsities and misdirection. Holding on to bitterness accomplishes nothing. And I sincerely believe that Trinbagonians, in keeping with our easy-going nature, are more willing to choose clemency over condemnation. No one is perfect, and it's futile to throw stones when we are all living in the same glass house.
The Bible teaches that Jesus, even after enduring mental and physical anguish from his captors, asked that they be forgiven. But while they knew 'not what they did', our leaders can't claim the same ignorance for their wrongdoing. For any reconciliation to occur–yes, they must first take responsibility, but then we need to be magnanimous as well. Forgiveness and humility cannot exist without each other, and in these uncertain times we can all use a bit of both. Happy Easter T&T, and may you be blessed and kept safe.