The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-04-13
For Assessor
Mr.. L. G.. SMITH of Benton.
EASTER SUNDAY.

The Easter time is here, and with the
return of the day of the resurrection ma
ture has renewed its old strength, and all
nature is attune with the blessings and
mercies of Him who on this memorable
day rose from the grave.
In all the story of the last hours of pas
sion in the garden, the agony on the cross,
the burial in the new tomb wherein never
yet had any one been laid. and the rising
therefrom and reappearance-there is, as
was meant to be, the sense that in those
hours and days, Jesus was but carrying on
with perfection of sympathy the purpose
of his inner ministry to those near to him,
telling them with new force that the cir
cumstance of death was apparent, the
mere flower of larger life opening once
it was passed. The fellow-v victim on the
cross beside him learned that that very day
they should be together in paradise-not
dead, then, but alive. To those that were
his nearest friends he gave the words of
comfort even in the shadow of that dark
ness which rested for moment on his very
soul, even as it rested over the earth. And
then, on the Sunday morning, the first day
of the week, he was seen of the women his
friends, of the followers nearest to him,
and they all somehow felt that he had been
with them, and was not dead, but assembled
''to your Father and my Father, your God
and my Cod"
We stand beside the empty tomb on this
Easter Sunday morning and listen to the
message of the angel, "He is not here; for
he is risen, as He said" What does it
mean for US? Does it simply record fact
in history? Human interest is in that which
is to happen, rather than in that which has
happened.
We may consider the resurrection OF
Christ we'll attested, creditable fact in
history, the keystone of the Christian re-
ligion, the supreme witness of the immor-
tally of the soul. But there it stands
unconnected, distinct, apart from our own
personal life. We have never thought OF
it as having any real part in our own life's
stone Of our own personal faith in Jesus
Christ; we have never woven it into the
very fibre of our life as child of God. Il
is for us a historical event, an article Of
life beyond the grave.
And some one may ask, "What more
can be desired?' 1t would seem as if one
had reached the circumference and had
grasped the full value of the message Of
Easter when such confession had beer
made. There is something more, however
for on Easter Sunday We are not simply
commenorating an event, we are sharing
in an experience; we are not simply add.
ing an article to our creed, we are partak-
ing of the power of new life; we are moi
simply finding an argument for immotali.
ty, We are entering into the joy of the life
eternal.
The deep significance of this Easter day
does not lie in its pointing US back to {
certain time and certain place and re-
minding us that at that time and in tina
place Christ rose from the dead. The true
meaning of Easter is that "to-day, to.
morrow and forever" Christ is gaining
the victory for US, and the message of thu
angel is bringing joy and new life to hearts
that are dead in trespasses and sin.
Whenever human soul goes to seek .
crucified Jesus and finds instead riser
Savior the event of Easter day is repeated
and the joy of the angelic message is shared
once again. The real power of the resur'
ton lies in the spiritual experience, not il
the historical fact.