Saturday, March 30th, 2024.
It’s time again for the annual sermon where preachers across the country will ask that enduring question, “What is Easter about?”
Must it really be asked?
After all, who doesn’t know (except for Google Doodles) that religious Christianity celebrates Easter as the day of the resurrection of Christ (at least since Constantine, before which it was Passover, unless your Eastern Orthodox).
It’s not pagan (at least not anymore, we fixed that, sort of).
Every church in town emphasizes the risen Lord (right before the main event of the Easter egg hunt).
Children are taught the eternally important doctrine of resurrection (hidden in symbols of chocolate rabbits, colored eggs, and jellybeans).
The faithful gather (at least until next year) for a special church service (and for the family feast afterward).
It is truly a Christian holyday (despite Lent, 4 stations of the cross, any instruction to observe Holy Week, cross flowering, and basket-delivering bunnies being absent from the Bible).
So then, why must it be asked what Easter is about? (Because without chocolate, eggs, plastic grass, ham, pageants, and peeps, what’s left is a day that looks like any other Sunday.)
It’s clear that everyone is on the same page (do it for the children).
For your consideration,
Justin “green eggs and ham” Johnson