2014 Easter Message

We are now entering upon the most important of the Christian holidays…….Easter. Today our busy lives often preclude us from stopping to give serious consideration to the events which are purported to have occurred during this period in Biblical history. These events are the very catalyst which fueled the creation of the Christian religion, and we ought not to allow any current day social influences to over-shadow or interfere with our acknowledgement and celebration of those events. I hope each of you will take some time this Easter season to reflect upon what we, as Christians, are actually celebrating.

 It’s a sad reality that the meaning of Easter, much like the meaning of Christmas, (yet on a much less commercial scale), has been lost to many who claim to embrace Christianity. Much of our focus today is on the preparation of the Easter Dinner, or on the “Easter Bunny” and decorating “Easter Eggs”. But how many truly recognize the Easter holiday for what it was actually meant to commemorate – the glorious resurrection and ascension of our crucified Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

 I would like to take this opportunity to encourage each and every one of you to find a quiet moment during this Easter season, to sit and read the last three Chapters of “The Gospel according to St. Matthew” in the Bible. Everyone will recognize many of the verses within these Chapters from our Sunday school teachings. But there are far more details of the events of this period contained within these three Chapters, which many of you might not have realized, or might not have recalled. And, if you have the opportunity, share the story with your children or grandchildren, that they, too, might begin to realize that there’s more to this Easter holiday than pretty dresses and colorfully decorated eggs. As Christians, it’s our RESPONSIBILITY to do this, and, in all honesty, it should be something that we WANT to do.

 We live in a world which struggles between good and evil, right and wrong, positive and negative, light and darkness. As humans, we confront these forces on a daily basis. Our decisions affect, one way or another, our families, our friends, neighbors, and communities. Jesus gave us a good example of this. When a crowd was about to stone an adulteress outside the gates of the city, He said: “…He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone…” When he spoke to the adulteress and ask where her accusers are, she responded there is no one. “Then I will not condemn you either…” The crowd made a decision that dissuaded them to continue their accusation. Friends, have you thought about the consequences of your decisions and its ramifications?

We are a society which has advanced so much in the past 50 years. Our technology has progressed to rival those dreams from the Star Trek generation. We have progress in one sense, but we have also opened a Pandora box for the destruction or downfall of our humanity. It is creating an anesthesia or an indifference to the evils haunting our society. Political scandals, child exploitation, child pornography, abortion, homosexual marriage, electronic robbery, identity theft, and senseless killings are just a few examples. Many individuals are easily drawn into this circle of destruction. We might know neighbors, friends, who have fallen prey to the dark side, as Obi Kenobi would say. We might think we are immune to this but we aren’t. Friends, do we have the fortitude and strength to withstand these forces of corruption which makes us fall prey to vices and evil?

The greatest commandment Jesus taught us was: 1) Love God with all your heart and soul; He also

showed us from the Cross to forgive, to repent and to believe that God will grant us forgiveness if we are sincere in our contrition. His Resurrection taught us the important lesson of hope.  We have the opportunity to convert the words of love and hope into action. We have the opportunity to make the right decisions to better the wrongs ones done to ourselves, our families and our communities. All it takes to begin this journey of redemption, hope and charity is the understanding of the message Jesus gave us from the Cross and with His Resurrection. Once we understand and internalize it as a Christian nation, we are on the way to become better stewards to aid and assist humanity in its hour of crisis. This includes to be forgiven and to forgive, to repent and accept repentance, to help , aid , and assist and to be helped, aided and assisted. We are the inheritors of His message of love and hope. Will you wield your sword to promote it or silence it by leaving it in the scabbard? This is the challenge our Lord and Savior gives us every day. Are you up for the challenge?

As we Christian gather together with our families in celebration of this sacred event, and attend our individual places of worship, let us take a moment to offer our thanks and our devotion to Him. For He is the way and the light and from whose blessing we enjoy the fulfillment and richness or our everyday lives.

On behalf of my wife, Becky, my son, Zachary, and myself, we wish all the citizens of Jefferson County, families in the 3rd district and their love ones, a very Happy Easter. May the Light of the Resurrection bless, protect, and bring you happiness to you and your love ones.

Yours in Christ,

Charles M. Huey