Thoughts As We Approach East...er uh... Resurrection Day

The information age is both blessing and bane. Through social networks and the blogosphere many thoughts, ideas, and resources can be unearthed, processed and assimilated to help us do what we do at higher levels of efficiency and proficiency. On the other hand, some of the junk we run across can just make us down right angry forcing upon us thoughts for which confession and repentance become necessary. Such is the result of my most recent frolic through cyberspace.

In the circles and strata in which I operate, Easter is kind of a big deal. Most of the blogs, status lines and "Twitter tweets" deal with the upcoming Christian celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ-- known far and wide as Easter. However, once again, many of the voices are opining the fact that we Christians should not be "celebrating Easter" because Easter is actually a pagan festival/homage to some fertility god you have never heard of and it has been co-opted by Christians, though with too many mixed metaphors, in order to celebrate Jesus. This is where I am supposed to rail against all the filthy rich corporations who make money by peddling their evil chocolate bunnies and their wee little marshmallow chickens. I get it. I understand.

After reading what many had to say on this topic, I decided to do my own investigation. I decided to go with the "man-on-the-street" approach- except it wound up being my 6-year-old daughter and it was on the couch. "Ellie, what do we celebrate on Easter," asked Daddy without so much as an iota of leading.

"We celebrate Jesus raising up from the dead and coming out of the tomb after they hung him up on the cross on Friday, " she responded.

"So what do you think is up with all the chocolate and candy and stuff on Easter," asked Daddy, now trying to mask his exhilaration after the first answer.

"I don't know... I guess they taste good."

Ellie has no frame of reference for the celebration of Easter other than the one that has developed out of our family ethos which has Jesus Christ firmly at its center. At the core of the argument against acknowledging many of the "pagan" practices of Easter (as apparently were celebrated long ago) is the mixing of the sacred and the secular. If we hold to that line of reasoning, it should cause us to question many other things. How many hymns must we purge from our hymnals? John and Charles Wesley along with many other hymn writers occasionally "redeemed" a few songs by writing wonderful, doctrinally-sound lyrics and setting those lyrics to catchy, SECULAR tunes of that day. If I had not told you that would you have known? Now that you have that knowledge are you now in fear of not properly praising the Lord when you are singing your next hymn? Of course not. Those hymns have a far deeper meaning for you because of the truth you hold in your heart.

I once was lost in sin, as well, but as the song goes, Jesus took me in. I was worldly. I was secular. Jesus redeemed me. He gave my life meaning and value. He made me capable of accomplishing the sacred. Ironically, that is why we remember and celebrate His resurrection and we happen to call it Easter. I really don't think that I will tell Ellie that the chocolate bunny she is eating represents worship to a fertility god- bunnies being used because of their proclivity toward procreation. No, she will have another opportunity to experience the reality of the resurrection and love Jesus even more-- as she bites the ears off her bunny and she stuffs her cheeks with marshmallow Peeps.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:
It has come to my attention that there are some churches who are basically offering "doorbuster specials" to get people to attend their Easter festivities this weekend. Some are giving away game consoles. Others are offering "extraordinary activities for children." I don't mean to offend, but isn't Jesus Christ resurrected enough? Do we need more than that?

BENEDICTION:
As you remember the blood shed and the body broken for you this Easter, may your family be blessed and may you grow evermore in your faith and your Christ-likeness.

It is finished! Praise the Lord!