Easter: Love...and Hope

Today is Easter 2016. As a child, it meant that today was the day that it was appropriate to believe that a mysterious bunny was responsible for hiding eggs all over the yard in hopes that children would find the eggs and fill their bellies with cooked balls of yolk and various sweet candy treats. As an adult, I learned that there's something more to this day than just looking for the most eggs (or the fun discovery weeks later of finding forgotten hidden eggs that have become rotten and smelly while basking in the outdoor heat). The real understanding of Easter is that it is a day when we remember that a real man died because He was following a mission that started all the way back to the fall of mankind. 

I have to admit, I've sort of gotten tired of the tradition of hunting for eggs. It doesn't really mean anything to me. I admit, before I lost my great-grandmother, I loved it. I loved it because it was her favorite thing to do. She loved hunting for eggs and, in this moment, she became a child, on a mission to be the one who finds the most eggs. Seeing my great-grandmother so happy made me happy, because she had been through a whole lot of pain and tribulation in her life. Nowadays, Easter means something more to me. I see it as a reminder of love and hope.

As a Christian, I know God loves me. He's been a part of my life for a very long time. There wasn't a time when I've stopped believing in Him, or chose to abandon His way just because modern society has told my generation that He isn't real. As a Christian, I know He's real. It's something I can't explain, I just know it and feel it - the same way I know the sky is blue and that we need food and water to survive. Therefore, knowing the history of my faith - why we needed a savior in the first place - helps me understand that Easter is a remembrance of love. 

God loved us. Two people broke our connection to Him. He spent many years trying to find ways to still connect to His people. Finally, He found a way, in Jesus, to finally fix the connection. That meant that Jesus had to suffer ridicule, torture, and death in order to make that happen. God loved His Son, but He loved us also, and was willing to make this sacrifice for the greater good. That kind of love is deeper than just a feeling. That kind of love is like oxygen. It was needed, but without it brings far worse than we can imagine. As time goes on, this historical moment gets watered down and everyone involved become characters in a myth. However, it is important to remember this was real. It happened. Historical figures far separated from the Bible recorded events from this day. A real Jesus died...because of love.

As a Christian, I know there's hope. I know there's hope for a better world. We're promised this hope in the Scriptures. It doesn't take a genius to know that there's a lot of suffering in this world. This generation has seen a lot of hurt. People fight against beliefs. People attack others because of differences. Bombs end lives. People die. Loved ones are lost. People suffer through illnesses of all kinds. Families struggle with financial responsibilities. The list is infinite. Yet, having hope means that we, as humans, will find the strength to pick ourselves up off the dirty floor and keep walking through this life. Without hope, there is no strength to do this. Without hope, everything is lost. 

Perhaps this understanding is why Easter, to me, is more than just going on a scavenger hunt for colorful eggs. Knowing this, I look at Easter as a day to remember the Ultimate Love by showing love to others around me. Moreover, remembering the promised hope that is to come, I can find hope and strength to get through difficult situations that I may encounter along the way. 

So, as you gather with loved ones today, remember to have love and, most importantly, hope this Easter.