What does Easter mean to us today?

I am fortunate in that I have been able to travel to many countries in the past twenty or so years. My travels have taken me to areas where the main religions of our world at this present time are deeply established in the cultures of the local people. In Christian areas I have seen many statues in churches and wayside shrines, depicting an agonised looking Jesus, with crown of thorns, bleeding and hanging from a cross. I feel sad when I see these portrayals of the Easter story. In many ways, I am glad that in our UK society these days, Easter is a time most children look forward to with great enthusiasm because of their anticipated Easter egg hunts, school holiday and lots of fun and games. The story of the crucifixion, if heard at all, seems to have faded into insignificance, for many.

However, as adults, there is much which is truly relevant for our modern day lives, and the White Eagle teaching offers deeper understanding of the underlying symbolism of the story. There is a particularly interesting passage in the book`The Lightbringer`, which I quoted in the pre-Easter service I led in our Americas' Temple  a couple of weeks ago. It links with what White Eagle teaches about the Christ being the light within our own being, and how we can all encourage this light to arise (the true resurrection) and take control of our stressed and often fearful everyday self. Having talked about the story of Jesus stilling the storm-tossed sea, White Eagle goes on to say, `When the soul calls rightly, the Master hears. In you rises the power which causes you to be still, to be tranquil. Your Master takes over control of your boat - which is your soul - and you become calm. Do you now see the true meaning of Christ being the saviour of humankind? It is not the fact of a physical body being nailed to a wooden cross which saves humanity from its sins, but you yourself, when you rise (or go within) to that supreme place of consciousness where you contact the solar force: your solar self, the Christ. The Christ takes possession of all the vehicles and bodies. This is what salvation is - not the death of another human like yourselves hanging on a cross, although that too has a wonderful symbolism.` So that in The Living Word of St John White Eagle says:

'The Christ in you has to transmute and redeem you, then the lower self passes away and has power over you no longer. Jesus the Christ upon the cross demonstrated this cosmic truth to all the world. The crucifixion spells the surrender of the man/woman to God, the heavenly Father/Mother.'

White Eagle knows that to surrender at a time of great pain or distress is very hard to do, but I truly believe and have experienced for myself, that if we can make just a small effort to contact that Christ within, then the light, the love of Christ, can rise up and help us to find renewed strength and courage, and help even the physical body. Surrender then, is really about allowing another, greater part of ourselves to take over.