I rarely speak about my faith, but this Easter I have chosen to share my heart. The way I see it, whatever you believe, you are loved, because your beliefs do not change this fact. This is what I base my life upon.
The Christian message is that Jesus was crucified and died, giving up his soul for us and was resurrected on the 3rd day. Christians celebrate this on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. To me, the love shown in this act is sacrificial and wholehearted and the resurrection shows that true love never fails, it is eternal.
Perhaps you have a different story of love, or perhaps you celebrate love in a different faith. This does not matter to me because the way I see it, the message of Jesus was love and if your faith has at its core, love, it’s good. If we share love, we are all one in love. If our faith is without love, then it has no purpose, and the true intention of the Easter story is lost.
I have experienced my fair share of trauma in the church, so I know the difference between a lived experience and mere talk of faith, the difference between sympathy and empathy, and love and Christian manipulation. Because of my experience I normally choose not to share my beliefs as I fear it will turn people away from what really matters, LOVE.
The hope that I want to share with the world is that the real message behind Easter is one of love. To live without love is not what Jesus taught. His message, and I hope the message of all faiths is that true love is willing to suffer deeply, as this is profound love. To grasp a love like this is truly freeing.
I hope you experience a love so great that your life is a joy to live.
In love, Jenny
