The theme of this year’s Easter Programme is Set Life on Fire, focusing on values of charity, truth and justice.  The programme engaged us in a heart-wrenching video about the Passion of Christ. Set on a Friday, Jesus went through scandalous betrayal, trials, torture and crucifixion in a row.

After that, all students played the crucial role of jurors in an interactive drama where the major culprits, thought to be responsible for Jesus’ innocent death, were taken to court.  Upon hearing Pontius Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas and Judas’ accounts, each class had a short discussion before the class representative cast a vote on whether each of them was innocent or guilty of the murder. By the end of the drama, the audience were reminded of St. Magdalene of Canossa’s words, ‘Jesus Crucified breathes nothing but charity.’ Justice means all men are equally and justly treated. Justice is the foundation and a starting point of practising charity.

Dr Au Yiu Kai, a Hong Kong retired surgeon-cum-medical volunteer of the International Committee of the Red Cross, shared with us what he had witnessed in Gaza during his rescue work for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dr Au’s experience accentuates the inadequate attention given to many civilian women, children and youngsters, who have struggled to survive in the war.

After the video, interactive court drama and Dr Au’s sharing, students paused for reflections on lessons learnt from all these experiences. The Easter Programme ended with a prayer for our strength and action to love one another, changes of attitudes on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian disputes and reconciliations and care for the Earth.