This is a special Easter celebration as we continue our recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The message of Easter is one of hope and victory.

Jesus Christ was crucified and atoned for all our sins.

He gave us hope and opened the door for us to repent of our sins to receive his wonderful blessings.

To top it off he rose from the dead, opening the way for all of us to be resurrected and live again.

His conquest over death symbolises that all people will live again forever after their exit from mortality.

But how we will live in the next life will depend on how we perform in this life.

Those who do good and obey God’s commandments will be rewarded accordingly.

Others who did the opposite will also receive their just rewards.

It is this knowledge that helps to empower many of us to overcome the trials we go through in this life.

The pandemic is one of those trials.

While we have come out from its worst phase, the killer virus is still among us making some sick and even causing death.

But we have learned from experience and become wiser for it. We have adapted and become more resilient.

There are diseases that face us and the onset of the cold season brings the threat of influenza.

It’s an annual phenomenon that compounds our COVID-19 challenges.

But Easter reminds us and fortifies us to appreciate that God’s love for each of us was manifested in Jesus Christ’s ultimate sacrifice – to die on the cross for all of us.

His blessings gave us the strength to survive through the pandemic.

Those of our loved ones who died did not die in vain.

They have gone down the path that we will all one day take as we farewell mortality.

They are in a place that God has prepared for them.

If there is one thing we could take away from the Easter message, it is that we all need to be grateful for the gift of life and freedom.

Indicators are that this year will be better than last year in terms of getting back to normal.

We take this opportunity to wish all Fijians a happy Easter.
Feedback: nemani.delaibatiki@fijisun.com.fj