Editorial | Jesus, Champs and Team Jamaica

Easter is the holiest of the Christian holidays and is cherished because of the fundamental importance it holds in theology, representing, as it were, death and rebirth as the only route to salvation.

Jesus Christ's decision, according to biblical tradition, to die on Calvary's cross still stands a powerful metaphor of sacrifice and altruism that elevates human character and presents a road map for replication for even non-religious folk. That is the most profound lesson lp loone can draw from the life and philosophies of Jesus, for even though his message was overwhelmingly religious, it transcended the boundaries of mainstream Christianity.

It is this show of selflessness that could forge a new awakening among Jamaicans about the need to volunteer their services to help those on the margins of society, including the poor and disabled.

Many charities and welfare agencies are finding it hard to reach out and maintain programmes which, without heavy government sponsorship or corporate support, would collapse. Volunteerism is a noble cause whose reward is in the development of human potential which would otherwise have little scope for growth.

It is with this in mind that this newspaper encourages members of the diaspora, as well as locally based Jamaicans, to make a commitment to proactively help charities or similar-type organisations.

The recently staged Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships provides a model for how past students, including expatriates, can rally together and create powerful movements built on finances and other support systems. Team Jamaica deserves no less.