We've stumbled into the month of Easter again! I love this holiday. To me, the idea of it means spring is coming, and with spring comes warm weather (please, oh, please, let there be warm weather soon!). I'm excited, but also appalled.
Everywhere you go for the rest of this month will be decorated with pastel eggs and small pretty dresses. Light yellow dress shirts for men, and something floral for women. That's all good and well- nothing wrong with a new outfit. There's the Easter bunny relaxing on that giant chair at the mall, which can be hit or miss in terms of varying degrees of nightmarish costumes.
This bunny who comes once a year to hide eggs in homes of many children (and adults). Does no one else see the outrageous thing this bunny does every year? Breaking and entering into our homes and yards to hide eggs? It's a little weird, if you ask me.
But where is the Lord in all this? Isn't this holiday His? Easter, not unlike Christmas, has become a holiday used for cookies, candy, weird guys in costumes, and decorating. Easter isn't a day set aside on a seemly random Sunday once a year for us to celebrate dyeing eggs and hiding them, or dressing up our children and pets, or having the family over for lunch.
Easter is the day Jesus rose from the dead. The dead. That is enough to celebrate! Our Lord is risen and He came back to bring us into a world with eternal hope and rejoicing!
He didn't endure suffering and death so that His people in His church could wake up early that Sunday morning to find the Easter eggs and Easter baskets filled with goodies - He died so we can live with Him forever.
I don't judge those who decorate and hide eggs, or those who get extra-strength dressed up. The little dresses and hats are cute. I love decorating eggs and searching for them. I love getting an Easter basket!
But I don't forget the real reason for the holiday.
AMEN. And I think that the giant bunny suit in the mall is frightening! I wonder how much longer till St. Patricks Day has a giant leprechaun (oxymoron?) that kids can take their photos with at the mall... But it wouldn't bother me as much because I don't think of St. Patrick's Day as a real religious holiday, but more of a ethnic pride day.
ReplyDeleteI saw this article and I thought of your blog: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-howerton/can-we-bring-the-holidays_b_2903040.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
I loved that article! It's so true, though, how things like Pinterest are making everything so ornamental. I've got nothing against pinterest, except that in order to have a party, or an event, you're almost required to spend DAYS preparing small gifts and decorations. Pssh.. In the words of Sweet Brown, "Ain't nobody got time for that!" It's a nice thought, but I have no intention of decorating every small facet of my life and event. Nail art still makes me laugh. Who decided that was a thing?!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, back to this article. I think it's more important for our holidays to be spent with our families and loved ones, than preparing for it.