Easter and our trip to the Holy Land – Oshawa Express

Bill Fox

By Bill Fox/Columnist

About 25 years ago, my wife and I had an opportunity to join a group visiting the Holy Land.The idea that we would ever visit Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and The Sea of Galilee was beyond our wildest dreams.But it did happen!The three places that most impressed me were The Sea of Galilee, the Mount of the Beatitudes, and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus retreated just before his crucifixion. These three sites were mostly untouched and it was easy to imagine them, even today, as places where Jesus spent time. Most of the other historical sites had changed and developed over the centuries.

One could not help but realize thatthe baffling growth of early Christianity, despite opposition and Roman persecution, was due to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth really did rise from the dead.If the crucifixion was about everything that is bad about the world, Easter is about how we can be free from everything bad.For Christians, Easter commemorates the fact that the resurrection of Jesus changed something fundamental about the world and about humanity.In the end, the meaning of Easter is as simple as it seems: it says that life triumphs over death.

I always find it amazing, maybe more so at this time of the year that Jesus preached, among other things, a simple message that is a part of most major world religions, even those that predated Christianity.So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12.We are more familiar with hearing this as The Golden Rule.

With a little research I found versions of the same rule in other major religions as outlined below:

From theBahaiFaith:Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself.

FromBrahmanism:This is the sum of Dharma [duty]: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.

From Buddhism: One should seek for others the happiness one desires for oneself.

A state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?

InConfucianism:Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence.

From Hinduism: This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what which would cause pain if done to you.

In Islam:None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.

From Jainism: A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.

In the Jewish Faith: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. And also, What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the law: all the rest is commentary.

From our North American Native Spirituality: Respect for all life is the foundation.- From the Great Law of Peace.

Also attributed to Black Elk: All things are our relatives and what we do to everything, we do to ourselves.All is really one.

It is unfortunate sometimes that society is pushed to dwell on our differences. While the cultures we came from may be quite different.Our culture may include our customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements that may be quite unique.

However, regardless of all our cultural differences, here we are at Easter, maybe realizing that we have much more in common with our fellow man, than perhaps we realized, seeing as in one way or another, The Golden Rule is part of all of our heritages.

May this Easter and the rest of this year be a time when we all aspire to follow the Golden Rule in all our affairs.

Im at bdfox@rogers.com if you wish to comment.

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Easter and our trip to the Holy Land - Oshawa Express