Eggs, Truth, and what we really should be hunting for on Easter
When Easter day rolls around on the calendar, you can feel the excitement and thrill of having escaped another winter season reach a climax in your community. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the neighborhood kids and families are all outside playing and enjoying God’s creation while searching for eggs and treats hidden in bushes and trees. Many, have sat through a church service or two over the weekend to appease their conscience and check the metaphorical box in their heads stating they made their appearance of the year in God’s house. The service is soon forgotten as family’s and relatives gather around the dining table to eat and converse before commencing the traditional Easter egg hunt which the kids so look forward too each year. But while this excitement and entertainment is taking place there is certainly someone looking down from above who is deeply saddened by what He sees. How could we as humanity once again can have strayed so far and ignored the precious gift and message that God himself came down to share with all and replace Him with fleeting events and activities that will never measure up in the long run. While Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny may be harmless tales and objects at first they are still replacing the truth of what Christ did on the cross for us so many years ago. So we must ask ourselves the next time Easter Sunday comes if we would rather seek a few moments satisfaction through what the worlds Easter looks like, or if we will hunt for the truth about what God offers us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Around the world, there is a universal moral standard to be held by Christians who proclaim that the Word of God, or the Bible is the foundation for universal morality. According to the National Association of Evangelicals the Bible is inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. Through these Scriptures there are many stories and lessons that can be taught and learned by mankind. One of the greatest of these that God wished to share with us is that of the Easter story and the hope and love that Jesus Christ showed the world in his death. According to the book Christian Perspectives on Sociology, God has revealed himself to humankind through creation, through the spoken Word (prophets and apostles), through the written Word (scriptures), and preeminently through the incarnate Word, being Jesus Christ. Richard Quebedeaux points out several things to be taken away from this that we as Christians are to accept Scripture as both history and revelation (Christian Perspectives on Sociology, pg 52). We must view the redemptive historical events recorded in Scripture as altogether mighty acts of God, culminating in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Christian Perspectives on Sociology, pg 52). So while speaking of the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures, we must remember that the Bible derives its authority from God, and is the perfect Word of God given so that we may better understand Him. Because of the truth of the Bible we can realize and begin to reshape our culture to better appreciate and understand the true Easter story of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
In order to begin reshaping the culture we perceive on Easter as held by the world we need to first better understand what culture entails. According to Christian Perspectives on Sociology culture is everyday speech or actions that may refer to the way of life of a people, to so-called civilized societies, to good breeding, or to the appreciation of good manners and the arts and other things categorized as the finer things of life (Christian Perspectives on Sociology, pg 47). So as earlier discussed the culture of Easter is now more focused on things not of the true Easter story that have helped hide the truth from people that the truth is trying to save. Our values that are our society’s cultural goals and standards have vastly changed over the years instead of now evaluating our relationship with Christ on Easter we now turn to the evaluation of others, behaviors, objects, and ideas that stem from our sinful and fallen human nature.
With our changing time and culture that we find ourselves in today there are also ways that we as Christians can help spread awareness of the message that Christ wished to share in His death. On a family level, going through the Easter story found in the Bible as a family devotion is a great way to not only connect with one another but also take time to remember what Christ sacrificed for all humanity. While many attend Easter church services throughout the course of Easter weekend, entering the doors and listening with an open and receptive heart and attitude can have a great impact on how to properly view the story of Christ. As believers welcoming visitors to a norm that we are so used to, we should not miss the opportunity to witness and be inviting to those individuals and families that do not normally attend Sunday services instead of looking down on them and ignoring the call to love them as given by Christ. Since culture consists of learned and shared attitudes, values, and behaviors, one would expect the members of a society to behave in similar ways (Christian Perspectives on Sociology, pg 48). Using this information as given by this book, it is safe to say that we have a small window on Easter to spread to good news and be a good example of Christ’s love for all. Doing our part to witness and exemplify could be considered as setting the foundation for Christ to work in those unbelievers hearts so we cannot take these opportunities to show the truth lightly.
Another example of showing the truth in a way that will reach out to today’s generations and people is through that of movies that depict the story of Christ while He walked the earth. The movie The Passion of the Christ directed by Mel Gibson is one of the more vivid recollection stories portrayed in a visual form that I myself had the opportunity to witness over this past Easter. The visual representation the movie portrays of the suffering and anguish that Jesus Christ went through leading up to and upon His death on the cross is enough to cause anyone to sit subdued and grateful for the ultimate sacrifice that He gave to the world. Showing this movie to an unbelieving friend or relative (while probably not suitable for younger children) is a certain way to stir up some questions or thoughts in their mind about the true meaning of Easter. While this presentation may be far grimmer than a smiling Easter bunny and colored eggs, the truth that is contained within its message is far more meaningful and life changing. With showing or sharing the message of the Easter story, it can become the start of a new hunt to seek more truth about this new hope found in Christ. So for someone who has never experienced or known about such an impactful implication and is still under the blindfold of deception that the world has to offer, it could be said that it is our job as Christians to combat these lies in order that the truth may be pursued by humanity in all cultures. But until the Lord returns we that know the truth and find comfort in it can look on Easter with remembrance and gratitude for the love that Christ showed us on the mercy tree.
