The Bramford Times • AN EASTER MESSAGE FOR OUR NATION: From a Christian Vantage Point

By W. Edward Griffith

As we approach this Easter holiday we do so with a nation in disarray. The political divisions, the social unrest, the frustrations among Americans due to the economic crisis of the country, all give us reason to pause and reflect.

On this Good Friday, we observe the crucifixion of our Lord. For many it is a distant and ancient event. However, the impact of this weekend for Christians is monumental. We recognize in our faith the hope of things that seem impossible. We observe the execution of Jesus with the subsequent faith in his resurrection and the light that faith has provided throughout the ages.

If there is any element we should take with us, long after the Easter holiday has passed, it is that Christianity represents a culture of life and hope. Islamic radicals celebrate their religious faith by embracing a culture of death and violence. There is a clear and very present difference between the two. And we are compelled to look closer and evaluate our purpose amid the chaos of our world.

The politics of religion often cloud the enormous miracle of faith. Believing in a God who has a purpose for all of us and knowing full well that through our faith mountains can be moved, the blind can see, the deaf can hear and nations can thrive and prosper, breathes life into our responsibilities and our opportunities to make things happen.

The disenchantment in our society over socio-political debates, corruption and war, all reinforce our firm belief that society, without faith, is an abyss without the hope of something better.

We spend so much time debating the politics of left and right, tearing apart those who disagree with us and somehow forgetting that politics is not intended to be the focus of our existence. People, rather than politics is what we should be focused on. Once you shed political, religious and philosophical disagreements, you’ll find that people are pretty much the same. Regardless of race, religion, politics or our stations in life, we all breathe the same air. We all walk the same earth. We are all capable of pain and disappointment. We all desire to love and be loved and we are a miracle of God’s creation in that we can have enormous empathy and compassion for someone we have never met.

The realities of our age are grave. The dangers facing our national security and the terrorist threats from within and without our borders give us all cause for concern. The political conditions of the present, may well determine the kind of nation our children inherit when the final chapter of our time at the wheel of the ship of state is over.

While I believe that all government should remain secular and simply charged with representing and defending the Constitution of the United States, against ALL enemies foreign and domestic, I also believe what history has proven to be the case. The best form of government is one that is secular, while the population it represents is rooted in the core principles of faith, family and love of their country.

While Washington battles over economics and health care reform remains a constant fixture on the evening news, let us take a breath and reflect. As Islamic fundamentalist extremists plot to commit acts of terror on our country and regimes threaten our national security, let us take a breath. Let us take a breath and soak in the meaning of this Easter. Let us inventory our faith, knowing full well that we, as Christians, have the opportunity to engage others and to bring to the forefront of all we do daily, a message of hope and life.

We enter this Easter holiday sensible that our own human frailty, our errors and mistakes in life, our short-comings and our sin and transgressions were the elements that made the miracle of this holiday what it is. God knew, full well, that it would require something greater to save us from ourselves. He knew that it would take the ultimate sacrifice to redeem humanity. The way we conduct our daily lives must always be better than we did it the day before. For some of us it is a long journey. For others it will take a lifetime of struggle until they breathe their final breath. But still we strive. We struggle to do better, be better and to bring light and hope and encouragement to those with which we come into contact.

I have never had a burning bush or a voice from heaven to communicate with God. I found God through people. Once we take a breath and open our eyes and liberate our souls from the daily struggles of life, God becomes real to us. The struggles are no less challenging, but they can be overcome with greater resolve and in a state of happiness.

As a nation, we too can take a breath and reaffirm our commitment to people, rather than politics. We can replace rhetoric with compassion, and complacency with action. We can do, as citizens, what we have for far too long expected government to do. We can make a difference once we search ourselves, determine our priorities and reach the conclusion that our faith can move mountains and help shape history. We must never forget our responsibility to represent our faith through compassion for those who disagree with us. We must stand by our principles and recognize that those who oppose us are just as committed to that which they believe.

Take the issues of our national landscape and shed the politics Look at how that issue impacts people. Do not allow the media pundits or the politicians to tell you on what side of an issue you belong, but rather look at the issue through the eyes of humanity. Once you do so, the way to resolve these issues becomes clearer and while government debates them on Capitol Hill and in The White House, WE THE PEOPLE CAN take action on our own, helping to resolve our national strife from our homes all the way to the halls of congress.

Take advantage of this Easter to renew your faith, search your soul and commit a random act of kindness that will leave the touch of your faith evident on the heart of another.

From OUR family to Your Own, Have A Very Happy Easter.



W. Edward Griffith, known to his friends and associates as “Will”, is Director of Griffith Colson Intelligence Service. He is a member of the International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association, British Bodyguard Association, and the National Military Intelligence Association. He also held membership in the International Bar Association, where he was a member of the IBA War Crimes Committee from 2009-2010. Mr. Griffith also served as Chairman of The Griffith Corporation from 2007 to 2010, where he founded Griffith Corporation Security Service and the Homeland TV Network.