For others Easter is a day to celebrate new beginnings and the new life of spring. Nothing wrong with that.

For Christians, however, Easter is the most important day of the year. It is the day to celebrate the fulfillment of a promise, a day to acknowledge that death does not triumph and that there is life after death.

The idea of life after death has certainly been the subject of much controversy. Scientists tell us that life after death cannot be proven scientifically. Nor can the opposite be proven. Those who are resuscitated and report near death experiences are believed by some while others explain these stories away.

The bottom line is that at this point in time, someone's belief in life after death comes down to a matter of faith. Faith means we believe in someone or something having no proof that we are correct.

We talk about the leap of faith, and that reminds me of a child who climbs a tree and who is now fearful of coming back down. His parent stands at the bottom of the tree and says: "Jump into my arms, I will catch you."

Jumping looks pretty frightening to that child. It may only be 10 feet but it might as well be 100. In the child's mind, it is not logical to jump.

But faith bypasses that logic. It is not dependent on logic or evidence or proof. It is, indeed, a gift. The child who has faith in the parent jumps, the child who does not remains in the tree.

For those who believe in the message of Easter, no proof of life after death is needed. It is dependent on their faith. Christians have faith in Jesus and celebrate their belief that life triumphs. For those whose Christian faith is solid and cannot be shaken, belief in life after death comes easily. Even those folks can experience times when their faith can be shaken . . . when hopelessness takes over. We are human, after all.

We could all use a bit more faith . . . faith in ourselves, in others, and in the mystery of life.

Our little boy stuck in the tree is in a tough situation. His head said he will be hurt if he jumps. The same parent who stands at the foot of the tree beckoning to him has, on other occasions, warned him about the dangers of leaping from high places. What does he do? His faith in his parent tells him to jump. The relationship he has with that parent determines his action just as the relationship a Christian has with his/her God determines his/her belief in life after death.

However you celebrate or do not celebrate Easter, it could certainly be a good time to ponder the role faith has in your own life. It could be a time to ask yourself how much faith you have in yourself, in specific people around you, and in life itself.

The article above was found on Google and was published originally on Bradenton Herald