The following article was submitted by the Public Theology Forum, an ecumenical group of ministers of religion and theologians.

The Resurrection of Jesus has a message for Jamaican people, because He offers His sovereignty over the present and future lives of people. For Jesus to be the resurrection and the life means that physical death has no power over believers; their future is determined by their faith in Jesus, not by their death.

For Jesus to be the life suggests that the believer's present is also determined by Jesus power for life, experienced as his gift of eternal life. Therefore, the resurrection reveals to Jamaican people that the culture of life takes precedence over the culture of death. John 11:25 records Jesus' words, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die."

In order to place the Resurrection in the context of the cross we have to reflect how Jesus forgave those who were antagonistic, which indicates if we examine the future, life that is linked to the Resurrection, reassures that forgiveness takes precedence over revenge. In order to comprehended the effect of the Resurrection, we have to learn that when Jesus was being crucified and felt excruciating pains he could have easily resorted to his divine powers, but instead we witnessed self-sacrifice rather than to retaliate with violence.

Arming the population

As Jamaicans experience a constant diet of violence, there is renewed call to retaliate with a form of violence which is suggesting that the effective arming of the population would establish a semblance of safety. Unfortunately, there is a feeling that this route would not facilitate the culture of forgiveness, but would rather generate a false sense of the culture of being safe and secure.

The Resurrection had its effect on the early Christians as they were not only involved in mission but, having witnessed the reality of the risen Lord, they imbibed a spirit of self-reliance in community and a fixity of purpose. It is also helpful for Jamaicans to contemplate and realise that the Resurrection guarantees and promises a future that is secure and we will experience a real sense of hope, rather one that is doubtful and insecure.

There are many persons who have looked at the present Jamaican society as being one that is endemic with self-hate, but the significance of the resurrection challenges us to manifest a dynamic self-affirmation, because we are assured of a life in Christ which demonstrates that Jesus' self-revelation as the resurrection and the life is decisive. His full share in God's power over life and death marks the beginning of God's new age in which God's hope for the world and Jamaicans becomes a reality. This is indicating that what God wills and hopes for the world is available to all Jamaicans, because the reality of the resurrection has defeated death's power to remove people from the life of God.

The Resurrection reality is demonstrating the triumph of God over evil, and because Jesus has defeated the power of death, therefore, in Jesus, Jamaicans meet the power of the love of God incarnate.

Cultural experience

This means that Jamaicans will experience a culture of hope rather than a culture of despair. This truth indicates that the Church needs to embrace Jesus as the resurrection and the life, not only in times of death and despair, but also in the totality of the daily moments of human lives.

The Resurrection is crucial in terms of how we understand that a society that is devoid of a forgiving vision will always seek to function in a state of revenge, and will be unable to utilise the energy for peace, justice and righteousness, which will unveil the totality of the life in Christ.

PRAYER

Merciful God, to you we commend our country Jamaica, and all those who need your transforming power.

Where there is a culture of despair, give hope

Where there is revenge-violence, forgiveness

Where there is death, life

Where there is self-hate, self-affirmation.

Where there is darkness, light

It is in forgiving and in pardoning that we will be born to eternal life. AMEN.

The Public Theology Forum is comprised of the reverends Ernle Gordon, Roderick Hewitt, Stotrell Lowe, Marjorie Lewis, Richmond Nelson, Garnet Roper, Anna Perkins, Ashley Smith, Burchell Taylor, Oral Thomas, Karl Johnson, Doreen Wynter, Wayneford McFarlane and Byron Chambers, coordinator.