"Use Easter to start afresh"

Front Page: Daily Graphic, April 1, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
LEADERS of three prominent churches in the country have called on Ghanaians to use the Easter season to bury their differences and begin a new life of a united people with a common destiny.
They said the vices of selfishness, disobedience, anger, evil desire, greed, corruption, as well as disrespect and intolerance, must be buried together with Jesus Christ on Good Friday.
According to them, a new life of love, unity, patience, forgiveness, reconciliation and justice should permeate the lives of Ghanaians with the resurrection of Christ.
The religious leaders — the Most Rev Dr Emmanuel Asante, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana; Rev Dr Fred Deegbe, the Head Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church and General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, and the Rt Rev Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana — made the calls in Easter messages to Ghanaians.
The Most Rev Dr Asante called on Ghanaians to use the Easter activities to bury their weaknesses and negative tendencies.
He said from the Christian perspective, Good Friday afforded Christians the opportunity to die with Christ, explaining that past sins, negativity and weaknesses among Christians were buried and went down to the grave as Christ was buried.
He said Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday, therefore, afforded believers to start afresh in all aspects of their lives.
“For the nation, Easter should afford us the opportunity to leave behind us those negativities of the past and grab the opportunity God has given us to forge ahead in all aspects of our politico-socio-economic lives anew,” he stated.
“Yesterday is gone and a new day has dawned. Let us forget past acrimony and open a new leaf and forge ahead as a people blessed with this nation, Ghana, and abundant resources. These blessings, including the discovery of oil, should unite us to agree to disagree to work with one another in the newness of the life that has become ours through the Easter experience,” the Most Rev Dr Asante added.
For his part, Rev Dr Deegbe called on Ghanaians to use the occasion to reconcile themselves with God and their neighbours.
He said the reconciliation should unite Ghanaians more strongly for the betterment of the country and noted that if Christians put the message of reconciliation, unity and sacrifice into practice, it would move Ghana ahead.
“In this memorable season, the time Christians mark the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we should reconcile ourselves to God and to our neighbours and remain united as a people,” he said.
Rev Dr Deegbe called on law enforcement agencies to use the occasion to do their work diligently to maintain peace, law and order in society.
At a news conference to deliver his Easter message, the Rt Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso urged Ghanaians to exhibit the attitude of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, unity, justice, as well as hope, reports Matilda Attram.
He said Easter was a time for Christians to reflect and renew their lives and relationship with the Creator.
“This means throwing away the old life of selfishness and disobedience to God. It may mean confessing a theft, giving up some negative behaviour — be it anger, evil desire, greed or saying sorry to someone,” he said.
The Rt Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso, whose message was on the theme, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Gives Hope”, explained that Easter was a period which reminded Christians of the need to remain hopeful in God, pointing out that the resurrection of Christ gave new hope for a new life in everything they did.
He described life without Christ as one full of crises, failure, darkness, fear, sin and death which one could not endure.
Reacting to recent societal problems and challenges, he stressed the need for Ghanaians to pray for God’s intervention.
"We live in challenging times, a period when one has to live by faith and not by sight. Through all changing scenes of life, therefore, in trouble and in joy, I urge you all to hold on to your faith, continue to believe just as you did and the Lord shall strengthen your faith," he stated.
The Rt Rev Dr Frimpong-Manso advised all to refrain from immoral activities during the season and rather be motivated to observe the season with faith and confidence that joy in Christ was everlasting.