“He is not here; he has risen” (Matthew 28:6)
On behalf of Children’s
Hope Uganda, I would like to extend Easter wish to all that support us and the
world at large.
"Christ our Light will scatter the darkness in our hearts, especially in times of trouble or challenge or burden, where we might feel hopeless or lifeless. He will scatter the darkness and bring us hope."
"My hope, prayer and wish are for us all. "That the Light of Christ will scatter the darkness that we see from murder and violence and racism, and that we will become a more peace-filled family, open to Christ being our light."
We liken this time, the period of three days including Good Friday through Easter Sunday, as a journey that individual Christians can all share in.
"Literally, an opportunity to spiritually walk from Calvary and the crucifixion, accompanying Jesus as He carries the cross to His death. And we wait at the tomb and see the light when the messenger from the Lord comes and says 'He is not here. He is risen.'"
"We really do have the opportunity to walk that journey from the Agony in the Garden, to Calvary, then to the tomb, and then to see the tomb, have the stone rolled back...and we are told that He has been raised from the dead."
While Christmas tends to be the Holy Day, or holiday that gets most of the public attention in the liturgical year it's actually Easter that is really central to Christianity.
"Easter really is the foundational feast of all that we believe in. Because, if Jesus had not died and been raised from the dead, we would not be His disciples, we would not claim Him as Messiah. So, this really is the core feast of our faith as Christians."
"Christ our Light will scatter the darkness in our hearts, especially in times of trouble or challenge or burden, where we might feel hopeless or lifeless. He will scatter the darkness and bring us hope."
"My hope, prayer and wish are for us all. "That the Light of Christ will scatter the darkness that we see from murder and violence and racism, and that we will become a more peace-filled family, open to Christ being our light."
We liken this time, the period of three days including Good Friday through Easter Sunday, as a journey that individual Christians can all share in.
"Literally, an opportunity to spiritually walk from Calvary and the crucifixion, accompanying Jesus as He carries the cross to His death. And we wait at the tomb and see the light when the messenger from the Lord comes and says 'He is not here. He is risen.'"
"We really do have the opportunity to walk that journey from the Agony in the Garden, to Calvary, then to the tomb, and then to see the tomb, have the stone rolled back...and we are told that He has been raised from the dead."
While Christmas tends to be the Holy Day, or holiday that gets most of the public attention in the liturgical year it's actually Easter that is really central to Christianity.
"Easter really is the foundational feast of all that we believe in. Because, if Jesus had not died and been raised from the dead, we would not be His disciples, we would not claim Him as Messiah. So, this really is the core feast of our faith as Christians."
When there is no food in the store or granary, it is not
good. When our stomachs are empty, it is not good.
Most of the time we think when something is empty that it
is not good.
Yet, the empty tomb of Jesus tells us that “empty” is not
always bad. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead makes Jesus unique from all
other people in history, especially other religious leaders. No one else has
ever risen from the dead, except Jesus. Only Jesus has returned from the grave
and he will never die again.
But, the fact that the disciples and many others saw Jesus
after his resurrection, and we have eye-witness accounts of those experiences,
proves that the empty tomb is more than just an empty space. Indeed, it is
proof that Jesus was raised from the dead.
Yes, Jesus died. But, he overcame death. Death did not
defeat him. Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that he is more powerful than
death, which is the most destructive force in the whole world.
So, my sisters and brothers, if you are “in Christ,” you,
too, can defeat death and the many destructive forces working in the world
today. In Christ, we have victory over dysfunctional relationships; victory
over bad habits; victory over painful experiences; victory over sexual
temptation;victory over greed; and victory over devastating circumstances.
If you are ‘in Christ,” you are not a victim. Jesus’
resurrection from the dead means you never have to be a victim again. The power
that raised Jesus from the dead can transform you from being a victim to being
a Conqueror.
And, my friends, it’s not just about conquering poverty.
Resurrection power is so much more. It is about overcoming greed, jealousy and
revenge.
It is about overcoming sexual abuse, lust, addictions like
pornography or alcohol, greed and corruption.
We are not powerless to address these challenges in our
lives! Jesus has conquered death; He is victorious. And, in Christ,
we too can be conquerors and victorious.
So, we ask you this Easter, if you are really in Christ” We
are living in very interesting times in Uganda. We Ugandans are grateful to the
President for signing into law the Anti-Homosexuality Act. We must assert our
sovereignty and do what it takes to protect our children from being recruited
into an immoral life and exploited by others.
Yet, as much as we are concerned about the vice of
homosexuality, it is not our most pressing issue in Uganda. Our biggest
challenge is greed.
Only a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ can
put greed to death in our country and see generosity rise in its place.
The United States government and several European countries
have decided to cut aid to Uganda because of our support for the
Anti-Homosexuality Bill. I urge our government not to back down.
At the same time, I urge every Ugandan who supported this
Bill to lay down greed; to lay down corruption. Put them to death, and
let generosity rise up within you and flow out in abundance.
If employees stopped embezzling money and ghost teachers
stopped being paid and the practice of giving and receiving bribes stopped, we
could not only replace the aid that has been cut by these countries, but even
rise above it and go beyond it.
My friends in Christ, we are not victims. We are more than
conquerors because Jesus is not here – “he has risen.”
We send greetings to all leaders especially the President
of Uganda, and the parliament, members of the Judiciary, our brothers and sisters
in Christ, Clergy, and all Christians in the whole world
We wish you all a joyful Easter. May this Easter be a
turning point in your life and in our life as a family. May this Easter bring
to you love, the love full of passion and compassion as we restore hope to the
hopeless.
Your most
Levis Katwesigye
Director Children’s Hope Uganda
