Expressions of Faith in April

As we all look forward to the Easter break, most of us will be anticipating some well-earned rest and relaxation, and hopefully a chance to see people we love and miss in an outdoor setting. April also brings with it significant events in the life of the faith community, so if you have Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu colleagues or students, you might wish them a Happy Easter, a Blessed Ramadan, or a Happy Vaisakhi as appropriate!

For Christians, there is Holy Week, culminating in the cornerstone celebration of Easter. Holy Week is the name given to the week beginning on Palm Sunday (March 28th) and ending on Easter Sunday (April 4th).

Here Eleanor Sharpe, student on the MSc Speech and Language Sciences, shares with us why celebrating Easter is important to her:

“Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus’s death and resurrection. Celebrating a death might sound odd, never mind believing that someone rose from the dead, so let me share about why Christians celebrate it.

Christians celebrate Jesus’s death because by it he showed how much he loves us. The Bible says “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17). When Jesus died, he took my place so I could enjoy his place. He took the penalty that my sin deserved, so that I could enjoy being a precious child of God, forgiven and restored to a close relationship with my Creator.

I celebrate Jesus’s resurrection from the dead for several reasons. Firstly, it shows me that His death really did finish paying the price for my sin so I can be confident that God will always forgive me and never reject me. Secondly, Jesus predicted his death and resurrection, and then it happened, so I can trust everything else he says. Jesus makes wonderful promises about himself and about his relationship with us, so it is comforting to know that I can trust those promises. And thirdly, because it means there really is hope. The worst, most final thing that this earth has to offer, namely death, has been defeated by God. This means I can be certain that one day I will follow Jesus into perfect, eternal life where “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

I celebrate Easter because it means I can be sure that God loves me and he’s not angry with me, and because it means whatever this world has to throw at me (including covid-19!), I will ultimately be kept safe by God and will get to live with Him forever. Celebrating that rather puts an impending coursework deadline into perspective!

But I won’t be alone in living with God because Jesus’ death and resurrection welcomes into God’s family everyone who trusts in Jesus. We therefore celebrate Easter as a whole church family together, singing praise to God, reminding each other of what Jesus has done, and beginning the celebration together that will last into eternity.”

 

April 12th marks the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims.

Safia Chaudhary, staff member, shares her thoughts on this significant event in the Islamic faith:

“Ramadhan is one of the most important months of the Islamic year, which runs according to the lunar calendar. Many Muslims will fast during this month, abstaining from food and drink between sunrise and sunset, and engaging in increased prayer and charity. Muslims often incorporate their own cultures into their faith practice, so you’ll find lots of different traditional foods and ways of celebrating depending on where someone is from.

For me, Ramadhan is a good example of the Prophet’s saying that belief settles in your heart but encompasses all of your limbs. So, while not eating and drinking is a big part of fasting, being mindful of what you say and do, and how you spend your time, are equally as important.

Many Muslims use Ramadhan as a spiritual re-set, sort of like a New Year for faith, and will make resolutions to work on different things during the month. For me, fitting in enough sleep, prayers and making sure I eat at the prescribed times can make it a good opportunity to build a routine and re-assess my work-life balance. I also try to practice being more mindful of my interactions with people at work and at home, and to build up patience with situations that might usually be frustrating.

It’s really a time for self-reflection and when it comes to Eid, the day of celebration at the end, you can feel quite rejuvenated. After the year we’ve all had, I’m looking forward to it- and to my mum’s Eid biryani at the end!”

 

Vaisakhi – the Sikh New Year festival – is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar and is also celebrated by Hindus.

It marks the start of the Punjabi New Year, but it is also a day to celebrate 1699 – the year when Sikhism was born as a collective faith. It is celebrated on 13 or 14 April. This year, it falls on Tuesday the 13th of April.

On Vaisakhi, Sikhs go to the Gurdwara in the morning for a service. Afterwards, they have a procession through the streets with lots of singing, chanting and colourful clothes. The procession is called the Nagar Kirtan. ‘Nagar’ means town and ‘kirtan’ means the singing of hymns from the Guru Grath Sahib, which is the Sikh holy book. The book is carried in the processions in a place of honour. Celebrations always include singing and music, as well as reading aloud scriptures and chanting hymns. In the evening, Sikhs have a special meal with family and friends.

Many Sikhs also choose Vaisakhi as the day to be baptised in to the Khalsa brotherhood. Big celebrations take place in the city of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, which is where Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa.

Farmers in the Punjab will also use Vaisakhi as an opportunity to give thanks for a plentiful harvest and pray for a good one in the year to come.

Look out for the annual London festival scheduled for April: https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/41527179-vaisakhi-festival-in-trafalgar-square 

 

Fun fact: all three events include or end with a celebratory meal, coming together with family, friends, believers, to share food and fellowship!

Written by Anouchka Sterling, FBS Religion and Belief Equity Lead