Easter?

So I already said my piece on Christmas (see previous posts) now I need to talk about Easter.  It is the anglicized form of the pagan god Oster (sorry dad I can't find an umlaut).  Not the food processor! LOL! The Germanic god of fertility and new life.  So, Christians high-jacked that celebration to coincide with the celebration of Christ's death and resurrection.  I admit I love the dying of eggs, and the hunts, and the chocolate etc.  Sorry folks but I hate the peeps.  You know what I mean!  None of which has anything to do with the horrible way in which Christ died for me.  Am I bad Christian for enjoying this? Maybe.  Is that between me and God?  Absolutely.  In my life and in that of my family, does this fun little nothing detract or shadow the reality that we are sinners desperately needing forgiveness and grace?  Absolutely not!  My love for Jesus Christ is deepening daily.  My conviction for being a sinner drives me to my knees and tears almost everyday.  I know that I deserve eternity in hell!  I know also that Jesus Christ who is God, took the form of a man and paid the price so that I can spend eternity with Him instead of burning in the lake of fire!  My wife and children know this as well.  So if we color a few eggs, eat some chocolate, jelly beans etc., we have some fun as a family, make some farmers happy, dentists ecstatic, create some fond memories, and I get egg salad for a bit.  We still know deeply why we are celebrating!  We are not worshiping a fertility god nor are we giving credence to paganism!

So how is this different from Halloween?  Those of you who know me and my family know that we have a strong stance on it and we absolutely do not celebrate it.  Do we find fault in dressing up in costumes and eating candy?  Not really.  The difference is at best, Halloween is celebration of fear, darkness, and death. At its worst, it is a celebration of Satan, demonic powers and the unleashing of said powers against the enemies of Satan.  We choose not to celebrate it.

Enough said.  How you live your life is your decision and what you celebrate and how you celebrate it is also yours.  I am in no position to judge nor condemn anyone nor will I be.  We choose life, life abundant, and everlasting life.  It is that and that alone that gives us joy at Easter.  What will you choose?

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