As The Easter season is upon us, I have become more aware of what this time of year should really mean to those of us that call ourselves part of God's family.

It is a story of endings and beginnings. A story of sadness, grief and despair. A story of hope and peace and justice. A tale of one man's agony to spare the rest of us from pain.

Jesus is quite emphatic in the last few hours of his life. Even as he was being beaten and tortured, mocked and scorned, one of his last two commandments was directed to the grief stricken women who were following him.

	Luke 23:29   Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me,
                     but weep for yourselves and your children.

	Luke 23:34   Jesus said, "Father, forgive these people,
		     because they don't know what they are doing."	

Don't weep. Forgive other people. Tall orders, at least for me. I believe it is time for all of us to stop whatever it is that is keeping us from moving ahead. It is time to put a halt to the sadness and self-pity. It is time to put aside differences that make us all unique. It is long overdue…….this concept of forgiveness.

Today I am going to stop focusing on my own pain and forgive myself. After that, I will be qualified to forgive others………the greatest request Jesus ever made to his followers.

We are all Children of God……..enough of this sibling rivalry.