The Easter Story

Walking to work Friday morning was a joy. The sky was clear and bright and I could just barely even see my breath. The landscape remains just as barren as it has for the past three months but, still, there was definitely the promise of spring in the air. The cardinals have picked up their morning song once again and-- in case you didn't know-- cardinals have a beautiful morning song but, damn, they're loud and persistent singers. The robins are back. And the squirrels, wow, those horny little rodents are chasing each other across lawns and around trees all over the place. Anyway, that beautiful Friday morning, Good Friday in fact, got me to thinking about Easter and what it means.

Growing up Christian I was always taught that Easter is the celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead, His victory over sin, the final act in securing salvation and eternal life for all believing mankind. I loved that story, how Jesus kicked death to the curb, the tomb was empty, those nasty people that nailed him to the cross were so royally busted! And, extrapolating from that starting point, I think the Easter story of God's salvation has also been the trump card so many people have played, and continue to play, over the years. It's the "get out of jail free card" that let's them be really nasty rotten human beings but rest easy in the fact they have "forgiveness" and are "saved" and it will all play out to advantage come time to depart this weary world. Worse still, the thought of being the subject of such eternal good fortune has also led a great many Christians to think they possess special insight and authority over how others should live and behave, not just themselves.

Anyway, it occurred to me this past Friday morning that what we really are, or should be, celebrating is new beginnings. Not salvation. Not eternal life. Not forgiveness. No, this time of year we should be celebrating new life and, in particular, new beginning. Easter shouldn't be a reminder that we're okay, taken care of, off the hook. Rather, this Easter and this start of spring, should be a reminder that we have the opportunity to wake up, start over, refresh, rebuild, the chance to do it right. We have the opportunity to become responsible and accountable, not mere beneficiaries of some supernatural power wash.

I've gotten to a point in my life where the story doesn't particularly matter to me one way or the other, it's the lessons that count. And really, there are many stories, Passover and Easter being the most common in our time and place. But they are all crafted to relay the same message: Recognize that opportunity is reborn with every new day, recognize that we can choose to start anew--  and that's a story I'm willing to accept lock, stock, and barrel.