Easter in the Age of Madness and Tyranny

The Meaning of Easter

(ქართული ვერსიისთვის ეწვიეთ ლინკს ქვემოთ)

This year, Christians—whether Eastern or Western, Catholic or Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox or Protestant—will once again gather in our places of worship for the Easter Vigil. We will come to our churches with expectation and hope. And yet, this day does not belong to Christians alone. It belongs to everyone.

The central purpose of the Easter Vigil is to remind us all, once again, that light always triumphs over darkness, love always conquers hate, and life always prevails over death.

This Easter finds us under the shadow of tyranny, amidst shocking acts of treachery and fratricidal wars. That is why we must reflect deeply: what is the meaning of Easter? Does it still carry any meaning at all? Or is it merely self-deception, a comforting illusion? What can the Resurrection of Christ possibly say to us today, when the world is tense and afraid?

The Easter Story

Among the Gospels written in early Christianity, the Gospel of Mark is the oldest and most succinct. Let us see what Mark tells us about the Resurrection (Mark 16:1–8). After Jesus has been crucified and buried, a group of women, heartbroken and despairing after His brutal death, go to His tomb. They expect to find a sealed grave—a sign that all is over, that the central figure of the Gospel narrative has reached His end. The tomb, in their minds, is the final full stop of life.

But when the women arrive, they are met with surprise. The stone has been rolled away, and they hear the voice of an angel: “Do not be afraid. Jesus has risen from the dead!”

What else could these words possibly mean, if not that God will not abandon humanity to endless despair?

Easter and Us

Today, many people—here and elsewhere—are weary and disheartened in their struggle against tyranny and injustice. The daily protests in our city may feel endless to some, disheartening to others, frightening, or even despair-inducing. For others still, they may prompt thoughts of leaving the country altogether.

We find ourselves in the same place as the women who went to Jesus’s tomb. Like them, we may be asking: what hope is left? What meaning is there in a life like this?

In the midst of hopelessness and exhaustion, Easter appears like a light shining in the darkness. Its glow brings comfort, the assurance that not all is lost, that the struggle for justice and true peace is meaningful, and that the triumph of light over darkness is guaranteed.

The Power of the Resurrection

Easter is not just a historical event that happened long ago. It is part of our everyday life—a source of inspiration and encouragement. The Resurrection calls us to be agents of positive change and transformation. It calls us to embody hope in a world drained of it. Easter shakes us, looks us in the eyes, and cries out: the storm will pass, good will overcome evil, love will defeat hatred, and true peace will replace war, oppression, and bloodshed. There is no fortress of evil too strong, no bastion of injustice unbreakable. Just as God rolled the stone away on Easter morning, so too can we, together, roll away every stone—and from the tombs of despair, bring forth freedom, justice, and true peace.

Easter as Inspiration

The injustice that hangs over the world must teach us lessons vital not only for us, but for the entire planet. Turning a blind eye to injustice once leads to countless more injustices. Turning a deaf ear to another’s oppression will, sooner or later, make us victims too. Ignoring another’s pain ensures that we ourselves will feel it many times over. Fear for our own safety can consume us—and our children too.

Just as Jesus’s disciples overcame their fear and began proclaiming His Resurrection, so must we overcome fear, fatigue, and weariness, and fight to the end for justice, for acceptance of diversity, and for the establishment of true peace.

Easter in Daily Life

What does it mean when we respond “Truly He is risen!” to the greeting “Christ is risen!”? It means that we long for the power of the Resurrection to be reflected in our lives. How?

Like this: we must not give in to despair. We must not be afraid to stand up for the oppressed and the poor. We must not lose heart in the face of temporary defeat or failure. We must renounce egotistical whims and arrogance, which harm both ourselves and those around us. Without this spirit, neither our religiosity nor our prayers hold much worth.

A teacher once asked his disciples: “When can one say that the night has ended and the day has begun?”

The surprised disciples looked at one another, ready to answer. One said: “When you can look into the distance and distinguish a tree from a person, then the night has passed and the day has begun.”

Another said: “When you can look into the distance and tell a dog from a sheep, then the night has passed.”

A third said: “When you can look and tell an enemy from a friend, that is when the night has ended.”

Yet another added: “When you can tell a heterosexual from a homosexual, then it is day.”

Another said: “When you can tell if someone is of your faith or someone else’s, then it is truly day.”

The teacher shook his head in disappointment and replied:

“When you can look into another’s eyes and see in them your brother or sister—that is when the night has ended and the day has begun.”

The power of Easter must help us to see every human being as our sibling—whether they are white or black, whether they pray this way or that way, or not at all, whether they belong to this party or that one.

Easter’s power must also help us see our siblings not only in people but in every expression of life in this world. We cannot truly call ourselves human if we show cruelty or indifference to our four-legged companions, or to animals, birds, or any part of creation that God made in infinite colour.

This, too, is part of divine justice—for justice, in all things and for all beings, is the will of God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

The Opportunity of Easter

Tonight, as we hold the Easter candle in our hands, let us reflect deeply: Christ’s light will, without doubt, overcome the darkness of tyranny and indifference. And we must remember—our spirit of resistance will not be in vain. Peace, justice, and love will most certainly prevail.

And for those of us who, between last Easter and this one,

Have wronged someone,

Raised our hand against another,

Tortured someone,

Acted unjustly,

Caused harm,

Left others without wages or food,

https://rb.gy/bdmt7n

Metropolitan Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili

Easter 2025