Easter

I love Easter. It's a time of lovely time of the year with birds chirping, warm(er) breezes, and green shoots starting to sprout. But it's a time to reflect upon and celebrate our risen Lord. This Easter we attended a good Friday service that included a one-man act depicting the life and character of Father Damien, the Belgian priest who gave his life to the people banished to the government sanctioned leper colony of Molokai (Hawaii).

The actor was from the Rosebud Theatre in Alberta, and he was able, through a simple monologue (and no props) to artfully insinuate the island's imagery and the resounding sense of isolation and drudgery those poor outcasts must have felt every day of their miserable lives. By moving there on his own - the only able bodied person on the island - he gave up his life so that they could better live theirs. A fitting play for Easter. Although less significant than Jesus's sacrifice, still a brave, loving soul. He eventually died of contracting the disease in 1889, and his martyrdom is still recognized in Hawaii, where they celebrate his life and death each April 15 (incidently my brother John's birthday).