The Messiah Herald Issue 09 April 2018 | 页面 4

COVER STORY COVER STORY RESURRECTING YOUR INNER BEING When we talk about Easter, we think of colourfully decorated eggs, hearty feasts and church services in celebration of Jesus Christ’s miraculous ascension to the higher realms. But are we missing the point? O NE MIGHT ARGUE THAT EASTER has been celebrated this way for centuries, so it must be correct. However, Easter is, in part, a celebration of rebirth. A fundamental concept in Christianity is the rebirth as a means to reach God. Could the original concept of rebirth have been forgotten over time? Jesus Christ declared, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ [JOHN 3:3] He also explained that to be born again is not, in fact, a reference to physical rebirth, but rather a spiritual one. He noted, ‘Spirit gives birth to spirit.’ [JOHN 3:6] Jesus Christ was one of the most revolutionary, mighty personalities to have ever walked the Earth. His sheer divinity shook the foundations of Israeli society and brought about lasting change throughout the world. He showed people with his actions and sublime character what it meant to be the Son of God. It is often said that when one takes a renewed interest in Christianity or converts to Christianity, one has been reborn in the manner Jesus Christ mentioned. In other words, spiritual rebirth is often taken to be a metaphor for the verbal and mental affirmation of the Christian faith. However, considering the mystical teachings Jesus Christ gave to his disciples - as well as 4 THE SYMBOLISM OF THE EASTER EGG the many famous miracles he performed - one might be more inclined to think that the spiritual rebirth Jesus Christ spoke of has more practical implications. His Holiness Younus AlGohar, the CEO of Messiah Foundation International, states, ‘Genuinely speaking, without spirituality, one cannot adopt the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ.’ Being the Son of God, divinity was embedded in Jesus Christ’s very nature. However, we human beings are descendants of Adam, who, as we know from the Bible, disobeyed God and committed the Original Sin. Human nature is flawed. The tendency toward negativity lies within our spiritual composition - and this negativity does not go away by listening to beautiful sermons or reading the Bible alone. Had it been so, hypocrisy in our religious society would not have been as widespread as it is today. We need to go through a process of spiritual rebirth that enables us to wholeheartedly embrace the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. It is with great joy that we present this edition of the Messiah Herald, which contains His Divine Eminence Gohar Shahi’s practical method of spiritual rebirth - a method the likes of which you have never experienced before! MESSIAH HERALD / ISSUE 09 / APR 2018 The tradition of decorating eggs in Christianity seems to have been started by early Christians of Mesopotamia, who adapted this ancient custom to mark Jesus Christ’s ascent to God. They would dye the eggs red in remembrance of the crucifixion. In Mesopotamia, eggs were believed to symbolise birth and rebirth; in fact, they were an important part of spring rituals for many cultures. The idea that the egg represents Jesus Christ’s empty tomb was then made an official part of Christianity by the Christian Church sometime during the 16th century. On the other hand, His Divine Eminence Gohar Shahi reveals that the symbolic significance of the egg lies more so in its relation to the inner human condition and the process of spiritually being reborn. MESSIAH HERALD / ISSUE 09 / APR 2018 5