| OCR Text |
Show t COMMENTS March 29. 1991 H.!!top Timei Easter message brings hope, faith to those who face discouragement courage of faith to find fulfillment in life. Howard Thurman in his book, The Growing Edge, tells us that the Resurrection means that not even death is capable of telling us vhat it is that God has to say about life, lie writes: by Chaplain (Maj.) Alvtn Brown Hill AFB Chapel J ave yu ever deeply of the reflected upon the real and Easter celebration? What is meaning all about? What is there to really celebrate really in a world characterized by so much hopelessness and despair? I remember the excitement I felt when assigned as chaplain officer first at base of assignment. I couldn't wait to duty my show my stuff, having just graduated from one of the top seminaries in the country. On my first duty night, I was called to respond to three attempted suicides. Seminary had not prepared me for this -- I trained to be a pulpit preacher! I felt so to respond to people coninadequate and such brokenness in and fronting pain their lives that they were wanting to make a covenant with death. Gordon Gray, a Protestant minister of the Northern Ireland reconciliation movement, echoes in his poem the hopelessness and existential despair which is so akin to our day and time. He writes in part: Otrue "Therefore, i will hang on to my event. I will not accept it as the final and ultimate conclusion. I will hold it against all odds until, at last, it disintegrates in my hand because of a quality that is inherent in the very vitality of existence, inherent in the very life of God. I shall not despair. I shall not allow the events of my life to make me their prisoner. I shall believe that life has much more to jt than experience discloses to me. I shall continue to believe that God is not through, not merely with life, but with me." Easter faith is the belief that life is not through, even in death, because of the infinite creative possibilities inherent in the life and being of God. Easter faith is a protest against the forces of death and darkness. It is a faith which participates in the process of love by getting out of the apathy of misery and out of the cynicism of prosperity, and fighting against death's accomplices, here and now, in this life. Easter faith is not just a confident belief in certain facts and a poverty-stricke- n hope for the next world. To take seriously the message and meaning of Easter is to refuse to accept hell on earth. It is to protest against deadly powers in giving ourselves away to the forces of life and love. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that whosoever believeth in him would not perish but have everlasting life. When we offer our lives as participants in God's purposes we come to know the real and true meaning of Easter. We will not be prisoners of our events but prisoners of a resur- "Father, I am a man of my time. Around me, I see the signs and symbols of man's fear, hatred, alienation. A bomb exploding in a crowded market square, demagogic faces on TV twisted in mocking confrontation. My hopes have been destroyed. The death of things I hoped for has been celebrated by others as victory in your power. Father, can this be so? I am perplexed, angry, hopeless, sick. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. I want to turn my back, wash my hands, save myself, my family, get out!" The Easter story presents us an alternative to turning back and getting out. It is the story of a God who gives us the rection hope. ENJOY "How do I get the best price on my car insurance: GO GO GIRLS EVERY DAY! MUSIC GREAT DINNER good LUNCH WESTERN ATMOSPHERE .7 irS if Be smarL AND SNACKS POOL 7 FUN F000 tine of ceonrtw ' , 00 - ... Ajr Lew Manico's (Downtown Roy, Utah) OPEN NOON DAILY 776-348- 3 RELAXIIENJOYII A aA"V V-- i j j I S For the month of April, we are offering a 20 discount on any menu item witn coupon. Minimum pur- chase of $5.00 required. Present this coupon to your waitress before ordering. Not valid with mplrF fCiHL ptfP Kf jf S 4550 j virpfcr j gjl1 ! i i i""V r gjA.,,, .MW,llullu.l..i.u, V Lunch ' ; ' i illiiiiiiri-mriDniii- - A ' io j j j discount. i (Expires April 30 1991) j j Low w nw n ' '- -' BWTrnTmiirniTOfrTirn4 "At J and Dinner with down-payme- ''"-- 1r T m 1 a,. " (( mi i m m j i mmitinwmmmmvmm.mmwmm9mMMmWf ENDORSED BY The Military Insurance Experts Immediate coverage fr Overseas insurance available 440,000 militaryfederal employees insured Free rate quote nt Easy payment plans Money-savin- g Open everyday for lirf Tflffllfiii " J ' u J f - Hr ! , j - Alfh V4 v$ XX M '4J " deductibles countrywide service Offices near most military bases 24-ho- ur Call: 1981 773-059- 5 North Main Street Layton I V Ucjfrd In Mrtxm Partem tt tt mouft Ogdu Cvnt ji (Corner of Antelope Dr. and North Main St.) Government Employees Insurance Co. GEICO General Insurance Co. GEICO Indemnity Co. 026 |
