Dear Friends and Supporters!

As I have spoken with Women’s Council members who are more ‘senior most’ than I am, we agree that we have never seen nor heard about the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic we are undergoing at this present time!  This is a turning point where our lives and this world have been thrown into a chaotic situation literally before our eyes!  Some of us have experienced the loss of family members and/or unexplained illnesses which may have personally affected us.

But who has the answers?  Easter teaches us about suffering; nevertheless, suffering is “almost inseparable from man’s earthly existence.”

The story of Easter reminds us that life is resilient; however, the Coronavirus crisis has brought out some of the worst in human behavior, i.e. hoarding food/supplies. With people under various restrictions on movement, including stay-at-home orders and self-isolation, families are devising alternative ways to observe the spring holidays.

The Coronavirus has altered Holy Week celebrations worldwide, but not the spirit. We have had virtual Palm Sunday, the sixth Sunday of Lent to commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem for Passover; Thursday of Holy Week when Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment during the Last Supper; Good Friday before Easter when Jesus was crucified; and Holy Saturday as the day between Jesus’ death and resurrection.

As we are witnessing creative thinking and doing to continue traditional means of commemorating the celebration of “Christ Is Risen.” Yes, Christ is Risen, but that is only half the story; the other half is that we must rise too. The apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans: “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Romans 6:1-6).

I would like to share Happy Easter greetings as we celebrate the joy-filled occasion of Resurrection Sunday. Understanding diversity in our organization, I hope that this day brings you blessings, joy, and peace in your walk of faith, regardless of your spiritual foundation and belief.

Like Jesus on Easter, we too will rise.

Ella Goode Johnson

Ella Goode Johnson

President