Today was Easter, and it was an absolutely beautiful day. That is very rare in my memory for Easter to fall on a day of beautiful weather. It is usually cold and dreary, but today was exceptional. I don’t really have a lot to say about Easter, so this will be pretty short.
Easter is one of those holidays that society has hijacked and turned into a secular day of celebration with chocolate, pretty colors, and feasting. Yes, I ate chocolate today, wore pink to Church this morning, and feasted. I am not above what society has told me is the norm. Easter is one of the original Holy days that started holidays as we know them. It is one of two days of the year that Jesus’s name is uttered throughout the world and even those who are not Christians must hear His name in the public square. Many have tried to stop this or tried to elevate their own agenda to holiday status to lessen the impact of religious holidays, but Easter still holds a status no other day can compare with. We may not notice it in the United States as much as in other countries, but Christians all over the world celebrate Easter in very big ways, some even going so far as having mock crucifixions using spikes through the hands of the participants and having parades of self-flagellants suffering as a symbol of the sacrifice Jesus paid.
In the United States, I think most all Christians probably celebrate Easter, as that is the day Jesus arose from the dead after being crucified on the cross for the sins of the world. I think the Catholics probably do Easter the best. I never knew any Catholics growing up, so I never knew the rituals like Lent, Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, etc. I think living in Boston and D.C. and watching the 24-hour news stations, opened my eyes to some of these. The first time I watched the news, and half the on-air staff had a dirty forehead, I was very confused. I have shared an office with a Catholic for several years now and am learning a lot about Easter and the important events leading to the big day. I have always been told that we don’t do rituals because we weren’t told to do so, but I can tell you, that having these rituals make Easter and the events leading up to it front of mind, and having Jesus and his sacrifice front of mind can’t be a bad thing.
I must admit, for most of my life, I have been very confused as to why Jesus had to go through so much so the sins of the world could be forgiven. Why did this innocent man, the only son of God, have to be tormented and put through so much pain and anguish just so I could have eternal life. For a long time, this alone kept me away from God, because I thought how cruel God has to be to make his son go through that when he has the power to forgive without Jesus having to suffer for it. I have struggled with that for many years. We are told to be kind to each other, to love one another, but God’s plan was for the kindest, gentlest man on the face of the earth to suffer unimaginably. I couldn’t reconcile it in my head. One day, I just had a flash of realization. Maybe the suffering and the scene had to be so horrific that 2000 years later we would still be talking about it. Maybe it had to be so bad that we would have to know that if someone went through it willingly for us, they must have thought we were worth something and we are loved.
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed this beautiful day. Remember He did it for you and for me, and to Him we are worth it, and we are loved.
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