For as long as I can remember, Easter has been a very special, important time in the year. Easter Sunday meant wearing your Sunday Best, complete with a hat, if you had one. It meant dying eggs, going on Easter egg hunts, family dinners, and other activities. When my family lived in Austria, it was a big deal. It's kind of hard to explain where we lived, but it was a very small village in the alps, called Mittersill, with a Castle. When most people think of castles, you think of cold, stony buildngs that you take tours of. Or, you automatically think of Disney. Neither of these is how I would describe this one. It's big, with history for certain, with towers and a well, courtyard, chapel, etc. But it was also home. You see, it's kind of a retreat centre/hotel/ministry. My dad worked there, with several others, all of which spoke English. The other families who worked there made up our friends, as they had children our age and all had either Canadian, American, or British backgrounds. Even though we didn't live in the castle, it was always a bustle of activity and new people to meet. We went to church there, we played there, and this was our normal. Having people from all over the world also meant that holidays, especially religious ones, were very important and big. We dyed our eggs there, we had massive egg hunts, and, the thing that sticks in my head the most: The Live re-enactment of the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. It would start just outside, wind around the outer grounds, until you finally ended up in the forest, where a small cave lay. It was a very interactive way for us to remember what the holiday was all about.
Since moving back, we still of course partake in Easter celebrations, but a part of me will always be there on Easter.
Despite all of these amazing things, when I was younger, up until a couple years ago, actually, I found Easter depressing. I knew the story, I had it ingrained into me. It wasn't that it was any less impacting, I just felt sad when Easter came around. And I believe I finally know why: I was focusing on the Good Friday part, the devastating, gut wrenching reality of what Christ endured.
[Note: if you have yet to hear of the Easter Story, I would recommend picking up a Bible and looking in Matthew 16-28. I fear that by telling you it myself, you might miss some key aspects.]
But that's not the end of the story. Even if it were, it is important to know why Jesus had to die on the cross. And that in itself is beautiful and...words cannot express the magnitude of what was done. Being a world full of sinners, both past, present, and future, we were doomed to die. We were separated from God. But God loves (not loved, loves!) us so much, that he gave up his only son to live among us, to suffer alongside us, and rescue us from our fate, You see, sin has a cost. And that cost is death. By sending Jesus, who was pure, to die for us, we were no longer separated from God. All of our sins, both past, present, and future, were paid for. We mocked the very man who came to save us! Can you believe it? But it was all part of God's amazing, incredible plan. You see, God didn't stay dead. What??!! That's right. On the third day after he had died, he shocked everyone by rising from the dead. This wasn't a long nap, guys. He was dead. Really, really dead. And now suddenly, He's alive! Can you imagine being one of the desciples and in mourning, maybe talking with your friends and all the sudden you turn around and BAM! Jesus! That's incredible! That's INSANE! And yet, that's what happened. He ascended to Heaven, and we were given eternal life in Christ. That doesn't mean we won't have any more pain or suffering, or even death. It means that, at the end of this all, we have something amazing to look forward to. Because guess what? He's coming back again, and He is going to Rock. Our. World. (literally!). But that's a whole other story. For now, can we just stop and let it sink in that someone would die, and suffer, for someone who hates them? Who mocks them? Who ultimately kills them? That's...words can't even express.
So, this Easter, remember what it's all about. And take a moment to really appreciate all that this holiday symbolizes, and means. Even if you aren't a Christian, I invite you read the story in the book of Matthew, or Mark, Luke, or John. It's there. And it's here.
Happy Easter Everyone.
Love,
P.S. When I was about four or five, I got to the Passion of The Christ live, and it impacted me, even at that young age. It is fairly common to find places that do something similar. If you can, I would recommend seeing it.
beautiful, Morri!
ReplyDelete