Have A Blessed or Happy Easter?

A quote from today’s eulogy, “He has risen, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!” Response is “He Has risen, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!”

I understand where the “egg” comes into the Easter celebration. Spring usually brings new life to animals, which directs us to the rising of Jesus. He was “born again,” new life emerges in nature. Where does the bunny come into all of this? Depending on where you look there are many sources of the Easter bunny. Per seeker.com, the bunny came into play in 1500s (1700s in the US) from folklore told by Germans about a bunny hiding colored eggs in gardens. Per Wikipedia, German Lutherans brought the bunny in a folklore to entice children to behave during the Eastertide. Sound familiar…..ho, ho, ho?

Just like Christmas, I feel that too many people miss the point of the holiday and fall into the societal culture of it. I had a friend once ask about what’s the point of giving something up for lent to “torture” yourself for awhile and then just turn around and returning to doing it again.  I am not a person to force my beliefs on anyone! But, if that is how you see how lent is, you don’t get it! Lent is just not “giving up something.” It’s about making a change in your life for the better, becoming a better person. And because you see this as something that needs to be changed, you will continue this change well after lent. THAT is what it means to give something up for lent. On the other end, you don’t necessarily have to give something up, you can also do something that you normally don’t do. Volunteer your time, spend less time watching t.v. and more time doing family stuff, or not going out to eat to spend time together at the dinner table eating a meal that you made together. The list can go on and on.

Easter has nothing to do with a bunny, chocolate, colored eggs, and gifts. To me, Easter is about being thankful for someone who gave everything up for us. It tells me to see beyond my own needs and to ask myself, “Am I being a good person.” I don’t  see religion, or Catholicism in my situation, as being down on my knees begging for forgiveness, attending church every week to pray for my “sins,” or making sure I am oh so “holy where art thou.” To me, it gives me faith in others, faith in myself, wanting to be in the likeness of God. I am not saying that I am, but I can say that I work on it. I am not perfect, I’m not always kind,  I don’t always have “happy” thoughts, and I am far from perfect. But I am doing my best.

The next time you celebrate anything, always ask yourself if you know what you are celebrating. Don’t just go through the motions. Think about it! Don’t be like Facebook where there’s a day for everything! Have meaning in your life.

Happy Easter!