(Editor’s Note: Javier Sanchez, former Espanola Mayor, writes a column every other week for the Sun. His message this week resonates in a manner that we believe deserves front page prominence for all people of all faiths and beliefs.)
Light always finds its path. It always finds its way to you. Whether on the shores of a lake or a river, perhaps the Rio Grande which winds serpentine through Espanola or the ocean, water captures the light and opens a path directly to you. Light has a way of bringing clarity and stops you in your tracks when hunting or hiking in a heavy wooded forest and you come to a clearing.
Light brings us together and binds us. It is the metaphorical spark that illicits hope, rejuvenation and safety. For many of us, light means life because that is how the universe was made. It represents the lamb, the salvation and the word. Light embodies rebirth, transformation and redemption.
We ought to realize that it is not the miracle of resurrection that is most captivating this season. Even though we are taught that the miracle of Easter happens on the third day when death is conquered, any hero can die and come back to life. What makes Easter so special, worth replicating and worth understanding is that someone actually loved mankind enough to think it was worth returning. Most of us can’t wait to escape our earthly tortures in anticipation of something better- a place without pain, old age, and or ulcers. And yet He wants to come back? We are taught (and quite frankly, know deep down) that this world of sadness was caused by our own hubris—Eve wasn’t the only one to take a bite. We have all eaten from the forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve just happened to take the fall.
So what makes us worthy of redemption? What do we have to offer that makes mankind worthy of coming back from the dead? Perhaps it is that even in the face of darkness and pain and death, we somehow manage to find happiness-and that happiness depends completely on the relationships we create with the people around us. People make us happy. According to the Harvard Study of Adult Development published earlier this year, one crucial factor stands out that improves mental health, physical health and longevity: good relationships. Almost 2,000 people participated in the 85-year study. It is the longest and most comprehensive study of its kind. The study boils down to one thing: in this world of tragedy, life and death, good relations keep us healthier and happier.
Also, in a new study in the journal Global Epidemiology, authors followed almost 12,000 nurses (all women) for 25 years to see what effects marriage had on their health and overall well-being. It turns out that those who married had a 35% lower risk of death for any reason. They also had lower risk of cardiovascular disease, less depression and loneliness and were happier and more optimistic than those who did not marry.
Even though it seems like we can’t stand each other at times it is clearer that we cannot live without each other. Perhaps the light of redemption binds us more than we think.
We were taught that God loved man (and woman) so much that he gave his only son. Perhaps the greater story is that this son loved man so much that he could not exist without him. The resurrection isn’t some fanciful trick or magic show. Easter is the realization that our relationships and our love for one another are so strong that they are what conquers death. To seek eternal life, we need only look to each other. Lead others out of darkness. Teach those around you. Give a helping hand. Be the rock. Bind and redeem. You have the power in you. Go. Do. Be the light.