While many believe that Easter was only two days ago, Easter time is the period of 50 days, spanning from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday, a single joyful feast called the “great Lord’s Day.”
Let him say not merely, “Christ is risen,” but “I shall rise.” “Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.”
Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life – a line that must be uplifting, given the trials we are experiencing after the global health emergency and the challenges on our path as we approach the bridge of new normal.
As hospice counselor and book author Kate McGahan says, “The very first Easter taught us this: that life never ends and love never dies.”
Jesus gave up His life, and from the grave He was raised to life again on the third day, suggesting strongly that new life rises from the ashes of death.
Today and during Eastern time we are celebrating Christ’s victory over the grave, the gift of eternal life for all who believe in Jesus.
Like other Christians we rejoice on Easter Sunday that Jesus has risen and saved us, through our weaknesses and wounds. And the Easter season of nearly two months, which culminates on Ascension on May 18, strongly suggests that Easter is celebrated by Christians as a joyous holiday,
Theologians say it represents the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament and the revelation of God’s salvific plan for all of humankind.
In commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus, Easter also celebrates the defeat of death and the hope of salvation.
Which brings us to the key message of Easter which is hope – faith in the future, and a new beginning.
And as the Philippines confronts problems in the various rungs of society, including questions on foreign investments flowing in, not to mention geopolitical difficulties, perhaps this is the right time for investors to remember the Easter message.
Experts say on the average, investment markets will have at least some ‘chaos’ once every four years. There will be negative returns and some market pessimism that will test the resilience and faith of investors.
Market corrections are fairly regular and mostly accepted by investors as a part of investing.
As it is with any time of stress and pressure, people react in different ways.
Some panic, and flight mode takes over.
Keen observers say they lose faith in their portfolio asset mix and make changes.
Others see the jabbing inflation frames as major opportunities and double down.
But most stay on the sidelines in the belief that the markets will come back. They have faith.
We agree with the observation that it often takes longer than the three days that it took Jesus to rise from the dead for markets to recover.
In the past 70 years, the average bear market has lasted 14 months and prices have fallen on average 33 percent.
But we hold the Eastern message of hope.