Commentary; Posted: 4/12/06
Easter: bunnies or basics?
Rev. John C. Blackford,
Religion Columnist
Late in March a cloth bunny and pastel-colored eggs with the words ěHappy Easterî were taken down from the lobby of the St. Paul City council offices after someone complained that it was inappropriate to note the Christian holiday.
The city council president, in explaining the action, said, ěWe ought not to do this. As government, we have a different responsibility about advancing the cause of religion, which we are not going to do,î (St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 23, 2006). The decision was reversed in a few hours after many objections to the removal were received.
Pastor Greg Iverson of First United Methodist Church in Lindstrom writes a monthly mailing for April of his unhappiness that the display was ever disallowed, and relief that the action was rescinded.
He comments, ěI cannot help but wonder what would cause a person in authority to make such a decision in the first place.î
Lamenting the influence of political correctness he goes on to say, ěIt seems clear that the perceived rights of religious minorities have again prevailed over the same religious rights of a Christian majority.î
He points out he is not advocating an ěin your faceî response, but that the display was paid for by the person at this desk, and not by taxes, and thus was appropriate.
And, as he reminds his congregation, ěThe whole issue is not about what Easter is really about anyway, namely, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but about the public displays of things that have no real connection with the Christian faith in the first place.î
He is chagrined that the protester apparently thinks that Easter is only about bunnies, colored eggs and fake grass.
ěThatís like banning red poinsettias at Christmas even though they have no real religious symbolism,î he says.
Parenthetically, he explains his use of this example because St. Paul City Hall tried to do that in 2001; white poinsettias were somehow judged to be non offensive!
Beyond the superficial symbols of Easter are the basics found in Scripture.
Christmas and Easter are the two most important days of the church year.
Christmas can fall on any day of the week, but Easter always is on Sunday. The first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal (spring) equinox was chosen centuries ago, and so Easter may come as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.
It celebrates the resurrection (rising) of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after his death on the cross in Jerusalem, Judea.
Coming at the end of his three years of earthly ministry, the death and resurrection are understood by Christians to be the climax of Godís redemption of the world. (Jesus died during the Jewish Passover week, and this year Passover falls on Holy Thursday).
Dr. Jeffrey Greenway of Asbury Theological Seminary (the writerís alma mater) in an Easter letter refers to an advertising campaign by Pepsi-Cola which featured the slogan, ěCome Alive!î
The new campaign was a big hit in the United States, but not elsewhere. For example, when Pepsi prepared its Taiwanese advertisement, marketers translated the words, ěCome Alive!î into the common language of the Chinese characters, which literally said ěPepsi brings your dead ancestors back from the dead!î
The mistake was caught and corrected.
A German translation of the ěCome Alive!î theme ran for weeks. Germans were mystified by Pepsiís dramatic claim ěCome alive out of the grave!î Sales went up! Eventually the translation was clarified.
Pepsi had to change its message. For the church no change is needed. This is our message. This is what we believe.
We believe Jesus lived...He died...and three days later He came alive out of the grave.
Not only that, but the promise is that those who live and believe in Jesus will have a different kind of life, a life that is eternal and abundant.
It is our privilege to receive the message and believe it.
Thank God Easter is much more than bunnies and other symbols of new springtime life, as charming as they may be.
May you find the real meaning of Easter in a church next Sunday, and then experience the joy of knowing and walking with the risen Christ.
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