Howdy on the Easter weekend ? I am back home this weekend and guess what ? I have just been part of a torrential downpour ! Getting soaked has become a signature. The Rain Gods have brought it on big time and the city's not-so-good drainage in many parts of the city has made life miserable for thousands of city folks.
Coming back to the topic, I recollect very fondly the Easter of 2007 that I spent in Sydney. Easter is an occasion that is very dear to Christians as they celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
So I was invited by my mentor(one guy who changed my work life in more ways than one!), super awesome colleague Ben to go to the church along with his family ( http://hillsong.com/ ). As we drove to that place, I could sense the excitement and the festivity all around. His son was very chirpy throughout and wanted to know each and every detail about what was going to happen in the church.( I think he was 5 years old then and kids I think enjoy these occasions the most!)
The Hillsong church near his house, is a beautifully built church with an extremely modern look and houses close to(if not more) a thousand people.
The hall was packed and there was visible excitement. Families after families walked in enthusiastically and occupied chairs and got ready for the celebration. What followed was a wonderful service, where the meaning of Easter and why it was such an important occasion for Christians, was spoken about. There was traditional scripture reading with a lot of singing and wishing. The general camaraderie that people shared with each other was great to see. The festival fervor was indeed very infectious! People all around exchanged very colorful and innovatively wrapped Easter Eggs. Followed by that , I remember having an awesome lunch at Ben's home. Since then, I have made it a point, to wish him every year on Christmas and Easter.
Travelling teaches you a lot and one of the things that I always like is to experience an important occasion/festival in a particular city or a country where it is celebrated with a lot of pomp and fervor . For example ,you better be in India to experience Diwali or in London, to experience Christmas. In other words , its called "Being in the right place at the right time!" I think i was lucky enough to experience that Easter celebration . A festival celebration brings you closer to people, their culture, their way of celebration, their food ( festival feasts are simply awesome!), and their happiness. Its a time to celebrate and experience the feeling of joy, happiness and positivity and when you see people all around you happy and excited , it automatically rubs off on you !
Happy Easter one and all! Have a great one with your family and friends!
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