Easter can be seen through all sorts of lenses. Life itself has a variety of places where we stand and observe the unfolding of what it means to be human. I think we probably all stand at some intersections of life where we wonder what in the world is happening around us. There seems to be so much chaos, confusion and conflict. At the same time, there is a ton of beauty, hope and love. Easter is a season where we ideally anticipate that beauty, hope and love would dominate the landscape. Unfortunately the chaos, confusion and conflict disrupt that which we would prefer. So, what lens should we use to see Easter most clearly?
There are three lenses available to us. One is to try and keep Easter prim and proper… pastels, peeps, frilly socks, bunnies and chicks. Another lens available to us is that of rejection… let’s just give up on what falsely suggests it can bring hope since it is so irrelevant. The third lens we could choose is to see Easter as the only rational answer to the profound disruption of what we ache for in our hearts… a life full of meaning, peace and redemptive relationships.
I suggest to you that Easter as prim and proper is not an option that works. It never was like this and never will be. I suggest that seeing Easter as irrelevant is reasonable but not accurate. We all need life to be touched by something bigger than ourselves. That leaves us with seeing Easter as the day when solution, hope, direction and fulfillment take root. It is the day where we can embrace the fact that God invaded our brokenness. It is a day where God broke down the ultimate barrier. It is the day where God bridged what was supposed to be with that which can be by filling in the painful gap between the two.
You see, our sinfulness marred everything in our lives and alienated us from the one who made us and loves us. The solution had to be dynamic. The hope had to be reliable. The direction had to be clear. The fulfillment had to substantive. All of that is found in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. He is the one and only one who offers solution, hope, direction and fulfillment. Without Him we are lost, like sheep without a shepherd. Therefore, He gives Himself to us unconditionally, risking that some will simply see Him as prim and proper while others will see Him as irrelevant…. but for others, He is the answer in a world of chaos, confusion and conflict.