Transcript Spiritist View of Easter Here we are once again, near another Easter.

Spiritist View of Easter
Here we are once again, near
another Easter. Our Christian
thoughts and emotions express our
psychic sensitivity. Let’s leave aside
the commercial appeal of this
celebration; like Christmas for
example. Our attention and
awareness require a plausible
explanation of the meaning of this
period and its representation before
Spiritism.
Should we celebrate Easter? What
kind of celebration is allowed in the
spiritist institutions? How does
Spiritism view the events of passion,
crucifixion, death and resurrection of
Jesus? In general terms, the spiritist
institutions don’t celebrate Easter, as
other religions or philosophies do.
However, Spiritism respects the
sense of religiosity that is particular
to each person-Spirit. Any personal
or even collective expression around
Easter is not prohibited or
discouraged.
Jesus’ figure assumes a privileged
position in the spiritist context.
Spiritism affirms that Jesus’ moral
serves as the basis for the moral of
Spiritism. People are remembered in
our culture by what they did in the
main periods of their bodily
existence (birth and death), as a
rule, It’s quite common for us to
remember people that are dear or
important to us in certain dates.
There is no harm in it, quite frankly.
Easter (or Nativity) takes a special
connotation, as Spiritism has no
dogma, sacraments, rituals or
liturgies. Before mentioning the
significance of Easter to Spiritism,
it’s necessary to look at time in
Human history; the references to the
event.
Passover was not originally related
to the martyrdom and sacrifice of
Jesus.
See, for example, in Luke's Gospel
(chapter 22, verses 15 and 16), the
words of Christ himself: "I have eagerly
desired to eat this Passover with you
before I suffer. For I declare that I will
not go to eat, until it be fulfilled in the
kingdom of God. " Here there’s a
reference that Easter was already a"
celebration" at the time of Jesus; a
cultural festival. Therefore, the Church
adapted and gave it a new meaning. It
linked Easter to Jesus’ "sacrifice" after
the trial; the execution of Pilate’s
sentence.
Historically, Easter is the junction of two
ancient festivities, which were common
among primitive peoples. This date was
nurtured by the Jews at the time of Jesus.
The "Pesah" took place, which was a cultural
dance that represented the life of nomads.
This was also associated with the "feast of
unleavened bread," a tribute done by the
farmers to the deities, due to the beginning of
the wheat harvest season. They thanked the
heavens for the abundance of agricultural
production, which appeased the hunger of
their families and allowed them to exchange
these at the markets of the time.
Both were celebrated in April (Nisan).
They began to be honoured together
as from the Biblical event called
"Exodus" (Hebrews escape from
Egypt), around 1441 BC. This is the
Passover that Christ wanted to
celebrate together with his dearest
ones; on the occasion of the last
supper. They went to Gethsemane
soon after the celebration, where the
unvigilant disciples slept. This is where
the scene of the kiss of betrayal and
the arrest of the Nazarene took place.
There are other "elements" that mark the
Passover. The traditional religions point to
the Holy Thursday and Friday, Easter
Saturday and Easter Sunday. Holy
Thursday and Friday relate to the
"martyrdom“; the suffering of Jesus - well
portrayed in the movie called The Passion
of Christ, by Mel Gibson. Easter Saturday
and Easter Sunday relate to Jesus’
resurrection and ascension. We can say
that the traditional interpretation regarding
resurrection points to the possibility of
Christ’s corporeal body being maintained,
in the post-mortem. This situation is totally
rejected by science due to the decay and
deterioration of the physical body.
The Christian Churches insist on the
possibility that Christ "went to Heaven" in
body and soul; and that He’ll do the same
for all the "elected ones" in the "Last
Judgement". That is, the last judgment will
occur after the resurrection of the dead
and the reuniting of a person's soul with
own physical body. People who died
through the centuries, whose bodies have
been decomposed and reused by the
earth, will rise, restoring their organic
structures. Judgement Day would then
take place, where Christ will separate the
righteous and the wicked.
Logic and common sense abominate such
a theory, due to the physical impossibility
and moral injustice.
After all, a fairer criterion is established
to judge the "competence" or
"qualification" of all Spirits, with the law
of rebirth. Everyone can progress, as
there are as “many opportunities as
needed", since we can be "born again".
But how do we explain Jesus’
"appearances" subsequently during the
forty days post death, mentioned by
religious people in allusion to the
Passover?
Spiritist phenomenology (mediumship)
points to the mental symptoms
described as mediumship. This can be
seen on some occasions. In the time
when Jesus talked with Mary
Magdalene (she had gone to the tomb
to lay some flowers and pray, asking
Jesus - as if he was the gardener after seeing the stone was removed,
"where have they taken the body of the
Rabboni"), we may be faced with the
"materialization"; i.e. the use of
ectoplasmic fluid – from incarnate
beings - to allow the Spirit to be seen
(by all).
The same condition occurs in the
passage where Thomas said to the
other disciples who had "seen" Jesus
that he would only believe if he "put his
hands in the wounds of Christ." This
happened in fact, according to the
biblical accounts. In other situations,
we are faced with another
manifestation known as the faculty of
seeing mediums, when one can see
Spirits, by the use of mediumship
faculties.
Easter, in fact, lies wrapped in guilt,
due to the interpretation of the
traditional religions and sects.
It’s believed that Jesus would have
suffered because of "our" sins. This
is an inappropriate indication that all
Jesus’ suffering was performed to
"save us" from our own mistakes, or
mistakes made by our ancestors; in
particular the "biblical" Adam and
Eve in Paradise. The presence of
the "sacrificed lamb" who fulfils the
prophecies of the Old Testament, is
blatantly exposed in all churches, in
crucifixes and paintings that report in vivid colours – the phases of the
cross.
This Judeo-Christian tradition of
"guilt" is the big difference between
the traditional Passover and the
Spiritist Easter, if the latter exists. In
fact, we Spiritists must recognize
Easter period as the great - and last
lesson – from Jesus. He overcomes
the unjustness, returns triumphantly,
proceeds teaching to assert that
"He’d remain forever with us", in our
future steps.
In these days we can look at Easter as the
moment of transformation, the true evocation of
freedom. Once stripped from the corporeal body,
Jesus was able to return to the Spiritual Plan and
continue to "coordinate" the cleaning process of
our orb. Let’s us, Spiritists, see this period of time
as the real victory of life over death; the certainty
of immortality and reincarnation, because life, in
essence, can only be defined as love, rooted in
the great examples from Jesus’ existence.
Remember to honour the finest examples of
Jesus in this Easter, that guide us to one day
also be in the condition experienced by him,
which is to "be gods," "making our light shine."
Celebrate "another" Easter, my friend. The
Easter of your transformation toward a life of
plenitude.
* Abrade Director of Policy and Methods of
Communication (Abrade - Brazilian Association of
Promoters of Spiritism) and Delegate of CEPA
(Pan American Spiritist Confederation) in
Florianópolis-SC.