Forces of sin and death striking
at those celebrating victory over
them:
A Question of conscience to followers
of all religions.
Today
Tuesday 23rd. April 2019 is a day of national mourning in honor of
all the victims of the evil forces let loose last Easter Sunday when Christians
proclaimed and celebrated victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ.
All Sri
Lankans mourn & reflect
We as a
whole nation of many ethnicities and religions are one in observing this
national mourning in sympathy with the
victims of this horror but also as a protest against the forces of evil against
humanity. Although the horrific incidents occurred in particular places chosen
by the evil-doers according to their intent and convenience, it’s a wake up call
to all Sri Lankans, especially as followers of all four religions.
Let’s
look into our own religions and surroundings
As one
belonging to the Christian religion, I like to invite the faithful and leaders
of all four religions in Sri Lanka, to go deeper into their own faiths, not
only to identify any weakness for evil to thrive even within the sanctum of their
religions and weed out those evils but also to fight against these evils
present outside the walls of religion in
our societies.
How did
these religions appear on earth
In looking
within our own religions let us first weed out our misunderstandings about
religion. No religion, as religion, is formulated
and founded by God. God remains a nameless, formless, super-human power (Albert
Einstein) behind all the wonders of creation we see and explore. But to man, helplessly
wondering and searching for the power-beyond, God has revealed himself to all
mankind in various ways and in various times. These revelations to mankind have
given birth to various religions among all people originating from all corners
of the earth.
No
religion can claim exclusivity of any kind.
All
religions have taken their origins from some form of revelation and been built
up by men with formulas of faith, rituals and morals. All religions have grown
among men to help man recognize his nature and end, and to help him struggle
against the forces of evil and death and live a morally good life. In short,
religions are at the service of men, not vice versa.
Christianity
proclaims & celebrate Easter
My own
religion is one of these – taking its origin in God’s revelation to the
Israelites in their history where Jesus born a Jew, reveals himself as the
Messiah or Redeemer of humanity, announces the coming of God’s Kingdom, suffers
death in the hands of the Jewish & Roman authorities, and rises from death
as Risen Christ, establishing victory over sin & death. It is this faith in
Risen Christ conquering sin and death, that we celebrate on Easter Sunday.
All
religions struggle against evil hoping in the victory of Good
Though
religions started from divine revelations, yet the growth and formation of
these religions are mostly the work of man, who believes and guided by
super-natural divine or super human forces but remaining subject to evil forces
of the world. Followers of all religions undertake a continuous struggle
believing in the ultimate victory of good against the evil forces of sin in
this world. Hence the commonality of all religions to struggle against surrounding
evil forces believing and hoping in the triumph and liberation of the good.
Adam’s
Peak – a standing reminder to all Sri Lankans
In Sri Lanka
we have Adam’s Peak, visited by followers of all four religions, and claiming
to recognize the feet of Buddha, Siva, Mohamed and Adam. Prof. Hans Kueng of
Tubingen, a world renowned theologian, in studying the religions of the world,
has opened his film with a scene at Adam’s Peak pointing out the potentialities
for common understanding among religions.
We Sri
Lankans after a long period of ethnic conflict and civil war, are struggling to
rebuild Sri Lanka, a multi ethnic multi religious communities, a united island
of peaceful coexistence for all. Though politicians and governments make
blunders in handling our situation and not at all cooperating with those inside
and outside the country to rebuilding, true followers and leaders of all
religions must respond to the wake up call on Easter Sunday:-
1.
Do
not allow any room for evil to thrive even within the walls of your
religion.Within a man-made religion, it is natural for humans to descend into
extremism and fundamentalism which ignites hate and anger against other faiths.
2.
In
combating evil forces in our society, do not stop with mere armchair condemnations,
but come out of your religious houses, join hands with other civic and
political leaders to cry halt to evil.
More harm is done by the passivity of good people than by the activity of
the evil.
Father
S.J.Emmanuel
this article appeared in the Sri Lanka Guardian of 23/4/2019and in Colombo Telegraph of 25/4/2019
