Marie was told to go to a friend’s house for a formal party. She got on her best gown but when she arrived at the venue, there was no party at all, only friends greeting her with “Happy fools’ day!”
Kevin taped a note on the back of his schoolmate Tony. The note read: “Ask me for your free lunch.” No wonder, many students came up to Tony and asked for food. When they pointed at the note on his back, Kevin cried, “April fools!”
Some people still look at today, April 1 as a day for tricks, pranks and jokes. The victims are called April fools.
April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day is an annual celebration in some European and Western countries commemorated today, April 1. Its origins are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons or the change of calendars.
In medieval times, it is said that much of Europe celebrated March 25 the Feast of Annunciation through April 1 as the beginning of the new year. In 1582, France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. This moved New Year’s Day to January 1. People who were slow to get the news or refused to accept the change continued to celebrate the new year on April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.
Today, fools’ day is not just April 1. It’s every day when some newspapers, magazines and other published media report fake stories, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in smaller letters. The more the fake news is spread out, the more people believed it as true. We end up all fools year round.
I assure you though, this column is legit. Nothing fake. Just truth. Real and personal. No fools’ day from here.
Today is Easter Sunday, too. And it’s the real and correct day to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection. Who could say Easter Sunday is a fake or a hoax?
Jesus’ suffering and passion did happen and after three days He rose from the grave. Everything was done to fulfill God’s plan to rescue us by Christ’s death and resurrection.
No one shout “April Fools!” because The Risen Lord is truly alive yesterday, today and will always be until many tomorrows … until we see Him face to face in the Kingdom where we have places reserved for us.
Easter Sunday is real because we’re still alive today. Easter Sunday is not a joke because it raises our hope that with God nothing is impossible (Easter Sunday gives us an eternal focus. Christ rose to redeem us for heaven. There is life after our existence in this world. So if we are troubled now, believe that there will be no peace in the life ever after with God. Keep this thought: “My greatest hope is that Christ would enable me to enjoy life with God for ever.” And He has because there is always Easter Sunday to celebrate! This should keep our hopes high and our hearts ablaze to carry on with our lives now despite the difficulties and struggle.
As long as there is an Easter Sunday, there will always be a way out of our problems because there is a God bigger than the problems. There is a God who defied death and resurrected.
There are no fools in God’s eyes – as long as we spend time with God’s word. The opposite of foolishness is wisdom. There is no easier way to gain Godly wisdom than to pray study His word regularly through the Holy Bible, be surrounded with like minded individuals and to find ways to serve God to the best of our abilities.
If we think we’re failing in our decisions or get fooled by the world’s temptations, lean on God’s wisdom. He’s real so ask for His help to make you wiser. James 1:5 says, “ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
If God’s wisdom rules our life and thinking, we’d never be fooled by fake news or succumb to temptations.
With God’s word on our heart and spoken to others, we’d never be swayed by the lies and pretensions of other people. We are even in a better position to help them be more truthful and honest.
And so, the best commemoration today, April 1, is not Fools’ Day but Risen Lord’s Day.
More than just playing a joke to other people, play big brother or sister to bring the light of truth to another person or persons. This will make Easter Sunday not a thing of the past but a reality for everyone to believe in.
Happy Easter!