Of hope and brotherhood: Christians rekindle the spirit of sharing at Easter

The fun-fair at the Trinity Church was open to members of all communities.

KARACHI: Easter, the day of hope for believers of the Christian faith, is one of the most important events of the Roman calendar. The day was celebrated with much fervour by people across the globe on Sunday.

In Karachi, Easter Sunday kicked off with the morning service that started just after sunrise and lasted for about two hours. In the evening, the community reveled in the spirit of the occasion at a fun-fair held at the compound of the Trinity Church. The festival was organised by a group of the International Church of Karachi, the Youth Connection, in collaboration with the Christian Resource Centre (CRC).



The fair comprised various stalls offering food at subsidised rates, face painting, jumping castle for children, various games, puppet shows as well as a live concert. The games and other activities were free for children. “This festival is an opportunity for the children of all communities to come and share the joy of Easter with us,” said Sijal Shafiq, a member of Youth Connection.

True to the spirit of sharing, members of all communities were present at the fair to partake in the festivities. “We are visiting the festival for the first time,” said Peter Kang, who works for a Korean Business Centre. “Easter services are the same all over the world but the way it is celebrated is what makes the difference.”

Some of the stalls had been set up by Muslims, who were happy to be a part of the celebrations. “We usually don’t even go to wedding ceremonies,” said Javed Khan, who had set up a channa chaat stall. “Coming here was a great experience as we got the chance to interact with people of a different community, understand their values and customs.”

Others had not been so sure about being a part of the religious festival. Faisal Rahim, who was running a bun kebab stall, admitted he was apprehensive at first about taking part in the Easter celebrations. His reaction after the festival was completely different though. “It was an amazing feeling watching the children enjoy themselves so much.”

The event also comprised special religious rituals, prayers and exchanges of greetings and goodwill wishes from leaders and members of other communities. The special assistant to CM, Sharmila Faruqi, was the chief guest at the occasion. Wishing the minority community a happy Easter, Faruqi said, “Pakistan is going through a tough time, not just for the Christians but for all citizens.” She hoped that the communities would continue their efforts for religious harmony.

Brother Anwer Wilson highlighted the history of Easter Day which is also the part of the services. Religious hymns were performed by choirs of the Victory Family Centre (VFC) and Youth Connection, a group of African Christians who sang the hymn in Swahili.

The festival ended with a cake-cutting ceremony by Faruqi and members of the Trinity Church and the CRC. “There is no minority in Pakistan,” said Faruqi. “Christians are our brothers.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2014.