A crossroads between Christ and Easter Bunny

Happy Easter! More appropriately, happy Resurrection Sunday!

I’ve never understood how or why the most sacred of Christian holy days became tied to the secular holiday of Easter. I’m certainly not enough of a theologian to try and figure it out. Since there is no record of the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead, Easter remains one of the faith’s moveable feasts.

Ironically, about the only feast most of us associate with Easter is a feast of chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and other assorted colorful candies. At least that was my idea of an Easter feast growing up. We usually had a ham (yawn), and the meal itself was never a big deal.

As a kid, the only thing Jesus had to do with Easter was the annual sermon we had to listen to about his death, burial, and resurrection. All my brothers and I wanted to do was hunt Easter eggs, eat candy, and play with the toys that came in our shrink-wrapped Easter baskets.

As an adult, I have great appreciation for the meaning of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. It’s at the very core of my belief system. I know I don’t always act like it, which is why I need his forgiveness every day. We all do. Even his disciples did. None of us are perfect, nor are we expected to be.

We are expected to strive to be like Jesus with the understanding that he is the one and only perfect person and that the rest of us fall short of that standard. His sacrifice is the greatest gift given to mankind. Without it, we are doomed to an eternity in hell. All mankind is destined to eternal damnation after this life. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved. There is no other way.

One of the things I don’t like about Easter is the fact that its date is moveable. It’s not set in stone like Christmas on Dec. 25. As a result, it can sneak up on you, which it seems to do each year. My life has been so incredibly busy the last couple of months that I sadly did not pay attention to Easter being this Sunday. It really didn’t dawn on me until last Sunday at church when we celebrated Palm Sunday. I knew Easter was coming up, I just didn’t expect it so soon.

I guess that’s part of the reason why God commanded us to keep the sabbath. We need time to rest, reflect, and prepare for what’s to come. I know I’m guilty of routinely violating the fourth commandment, but then most Christians I know share that guilt. It’s like I said, none of us are perfect.

As often as I complain about the blending of the secular and sacred in Christmas and Easter observances and the commercialization of both, I have to confess to having been a mall Santa and my wife has been the Easter Bunny at church functions. Sometimes I think having these secular traditions add levity and happiness to events that are otherwise tragic tales.

The birth of Jesus is a glorious event wrapped in tragedy and danger. His death, burial, and resurrection are equally glorious, but his betrayal and torture are horrifying. I guess perhaps the secular trappings of the holidays help sugar-coat the hardships. The main thing is that the message of Jesus gets through.

For me, it took years of being dragged to church in starched, itchy clothes and having to listen to the preacher when all I really wanted to do was go home and eat more candy. Today, I have given up candy and most all sweets (permanently, not just for Lent) and look forward to going to church each week.

In the weeks and months ahead, I will most likely return to writing about sports, comic cons, books, diet, historic reenactments, and local happenings. But I never want to pass up an opportunity to share my faith and to open an invitation to anyone who desires to learn about Jesus to feel free to ask. I never want to experience getting to Heaven and having Jesus ask why I didn’t invite anyone to come with me. This is your invitation. How will you respond?

Joe Southern is the managing editor of the Wharton Journal-Spectator and the East Bernard Express. He can be reached at news@journal-spectator.com.