More than the Easter bunny, more than chocolate eggs; Easter is more to me.
More than the Easter bunny, more than chocolate eggs; Easter is more to me.
Consider this story about three people. These people were standing before Saint Peter at the gates of Heaven, where they had to answer a question. If they answered correctly then they would be allowed to proceed. Otherwise they would have to go to that other place, so getting the right answer seemed to be pretty important.
The first question to the first person was basic: “What happened at Christmas?” The answer given: “Christmas is a holiday during which a man in a red suit flies on a sleigh from the North Pole and gives presents to children. Peter’s response: “I’m sorry. You have left out the birth of Jesus. Please move along.”
Peter asked the second person, “What happens on Maundy Thursday?” The answer given this time was that, “On Maundy Thursday, folks gather for a great supper, with turkey, and sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Then they watch football on TV. If there’s time left in the day then they go out and shop for Christmas.” Peter replied that the person had his special days mixed up – Maundy Thursday comes shortly before a different major holiday – and that, once again, Jesus had been left out.
Peter’s question to the third person was, “What is Easter about?” She replied that, “Easter is a holiday that remembers a righteous man. This man traveled far and wide. He taught and was heard by many supporters and friends. But this man was scorned and executed, and his body was left in a cave. Yet, on the third day, after that, the cave was opened…”
Peter said, “Yes, this sounds pretty good so far. What happened then?”
So, the woman continued. “… and the man came out into the light. If he sees his shadow then there are six more weeks of winter.”
In fact, Easter can be hard to explain – and it does seem that, along with Christmas – its message tends to get buried and lost - but it is also delightful to encounter.
Easter is a story about the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus loved, and loves, all of us so much that he went to the cross – taking all of our sins with him. He rose from death to show us that we can have life in relationship with him and that we are given the promise of everlasting life. He loves, and has done this, for all of us – including all of us as Rainbow People.
Easter is hard for many us to understand and appreciate because of all the worldly distractions as well as all the suffering that we experience and see around us – including trouble in the workplace (or trouble finding a job at all), health challenges, both great and small, lack of medical care, family trouble, homelessness, and hunger.
Part of Jesus’ message was that we should work to end these, but Easter is not a magic pill that you can swallow to immediately take all these troubles away.
On the other hand, Jesus’ love is a tremendous comfort. It can help us deal with the challenges of today and, indeed, the opened tomb can become a stairway to Heaven.
Back to Peter’s questions: As Rainbow People, we are “in” if we believe and trust in Easter as a beginning of new life in relationship with Jesus. Accepting and trusting in Jesus’ love, we can rise to new heights.
(The views expressed in the article are that of the Rainbow Community Church, and not necessarily the view of GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine.)
