I was reading a friend's status on Facebook yesterday, which read something like he and a coworker were talking about their weekends, and it came up that the coworker enjoyed celebrating Easter with his family. My friend expressed his disappointment that Easter to that coworker was just an egg hunt and good meal. No Jesus risen. That got me thinking this morning, and really throughout the day. I want to sit with Li'l G and do some Easter crafts, and I have been tremendously looking forward to an Easter egg hunt in our backyard the day before. What am I doing, though, that connects for her, inseparably, the feast of Easter and the resurrection of Christ. Sure, I could call the Easter eggs Resurrection Eggs. Yes, we could build our own Calvary out of Popsicle sticks. What traditions, though, could we begin to establish in our own family that will etch on her heart the true miracle and joy of Easter?
Certainly without Good Friday there is no Easter, and we will impress that upon her at an older age. For now I want her to be filled with wonder, not at the candy, but at the sacrifice Jesus makes for us and the utter miraculous and inexplicable joy when the tomb is found empty. I realize it will take years for her to fully grasp that concept. If we are honest, I'm not sure any of us have fully come to understand its meaning and implication in our lives. Right now, what I want to do is be thoughtful about what traditions we begin to establish and what nugget of Truth with a capital "T" these traditions will convey.
As I've started looking into the tradition of the Easter Egg, I'm not sure what I think. I understand the origin, but as we neither stain the eggs red to symbolize the shedding of Christ's blood and then the new life that comes (the egg), or fast from eggs and dairy during Lent in our culture, I'm not sure there is as much symbolism as there is craft and candy. We could always revive that old tradition and stick with red while indulging my artsy side. That is certainly a thought. Maybe we will have an egg hunt with empty eggs to symbolize the empty tomb (won't my kids love me?). Or maybe we will fill those plastic eggs with Scripture and a puzzle on where to find the candy that is related to the great message of joy and redemption of the resurrection. My brain is still spinning around this one.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Traditions you have that you want to share?? I'm listening!!
And yes, I still have the bunny ears....
One year my Mom did an awesome Easter Egg hunt . . . outside, all of the eggs in plastic baggies with clues to find the next one . . . a treasure hunt for our Easter Baskets, but G may be too young for that.
ReplyDeleteAs for tying Jesus' resurrection more firmly into your celebrations . . . maybe read one of the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection as a family? You know, the way some families read accounts of the Nativity at Christmas. Maybe make things out of your palms from Sunday . . . that was always one of my favorites as a kid.
Peace,
~ Alice
Same brain! I was just thinking of this this morning!! One thought I had was to put some kind of treasure inside the Easter Eggs with the idea that the Eggs are closed, just like Jesus's tomb. Once they were open and the tomb was empty (just like when they use the treasure in the egg), then we knew the true treasure of Jesus' sacrifice and gift of eternal life. Still working out the kinks in my head obviously, but that was my first thought. Also, we used to do a puppet show in youth choir about a cactus that grew in a garden. None of the other veggies liked him, but when a drought came, the cactus was chopped down and all its water gave life to all the other veggies. Powerful stuff if it still sticks with me, huh? I'll see if I can find that...
ReplyDelete~Tara