Long time ago (about 40 years) in a country far, far away (ie. Canada) I woke up on the Sunday after Good Friday to an Easter Egg hunt. With the recent release of the latest Star Wars trailer I really couldn’t resist writing the previous sentence…..for me, as a child, Easter was all about chocolate eggs and rabbits.
While at a Good Friday church service yesterday I received a skype message from a client in another nation and I was reminded that not everyone celebrates Easter or even knows why it exists. Easter is a Christian celebration and it does not trace its roots back to Cadbury and Hershey but rather to a man named Jesus.
My father is a church minister and he explained to me how Christianity is summarised at Easter time. Rather than humanity reaching upwards to God by trying to be “good”, God reached down to man by sending us his only son, Jesus. Easter is about remembering how Jesus willing laid his life down for all of humanity and that he became the sacrificial bridge between a loving father in heaven and us all.
I thought this was a pretty good explanation (thanks Dad!) as at its heart Easter is about an incredible act of selfless love.
I’m always amazed at the courage of veterans in the armed forces who lay down their life for others, or police officers and emergency workers that run into harms way (and sometimes sadly die) to save a complete stranger. These individuals express the highest form of love that is the heart of Easter. In fact, the Bible says, “Greater love has no man when he lays his life down for another.” (Michael’s paraphrase).
At this time of year, when you give an egg, rabbit or any other gift, wrap it up in the most precious thing you can give anyone, love. I would also encourage you to remember those that have sacrificed so much for each and everyone one of us.
Easter should not just be a holiday in the Christian calendar but a holy day that is a celebration of love that we can all show to one another. If you are going through a rough time and wondering where love has disappeared to then I would encourage you to think of the people that don’t know you and yet would willingly lay their life down for yours.
Maybe your journey to discovering love again could be to send a card expressing your thanks to your local fire station crew……or setting up an Easter egg hunt for your estranged adult children. Whatever it is, remember that Easter first started with an act of love.
Have a great Easter,
Michael