Easter

"In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace;
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease;
My Comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand."
In Christ Alone, by Getty and Townsend

Once, years ago, I had a friend who didn't know why Easter was celebrated. Until she asked the question of me, bunnies and eggs had been the entirety of the day. At the time, I was amazed--regardless of whether she had ever attended church--that she could not have a basic understanding of what Easter is all about. I suspect her situation is not all that rare, especially here in Seattle.

So, what is the meaning of Easter? I think--in these unfortunate days as our country moves closer to theocracy and fanaticism; when a very large number of 'Christians' feel it is their place to judge and condemn and proclaim others evil--it is important to remember what Christ did following his resurrection. He didn't go after his executioners seeking revenge, he didn't say "I told you so" to his doubters, he didn't tell his disciples to thrash people with his message. Instead, Jesus returned to his friends and called them by name; he took them fishing; he gave Peter, the man who denied him three times, a second chance.

Of Jesus' last recorded words is the phrase, "Feed my sheep." That, it seems to me, is very significant. Jesus' post-resurrection actions and words were clearly aimed toward meeting the needs of others--first, his family and friends; then, globally, with the injunction to care for (feed) everyone else.

Why is it we Christians have lost sight of this basic truth? How have we strayed so far from Jesus' simple command to be our brothers' keepers, to provide for the poor, to heal the sick, to care for the widows? How do we justify our doctrine of personal prosperity; our theology of blame; our wielding of judgment? How is it we can spend so much time in church learning how to better our own lives rather than attending to the lives of others?

Jesus rose from the dead to tell us to feed his sheep. Easter is as simple as that.

Photo: sunrise; zanzibar, tanzania