A date with God
gooditsraining is trying something interesting - going to 15 church services in 50 hours over Easter weekend. She's hit six of six so far. I can't wait to read her summary when it's all over.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum for Jeff it's not really Easter weekend - and I'm cool with that, too. After all, our calendar has no relationship to "reality", and it's all just symbols anyway - distant reflections of the Real Thing seen through a mirror, darkly. In fact, like Jeff our Orthodox brethren will not be celebrating Easter for another month yet.
I tried (and failed) to explain some of my thoughts about this during Advent. Many people seem to reject all forms of idolatry - except for the liturgical calendar, which they hold to be "sacred" somehow. As if yet another man-made concept, the calendar - and a modern, Western one at that - has anything to do with anything in the Bible. So someone will probably object to gooditsraining or Jeff or both as being disrespectful or sacrilegious, as if this weekend actually means anything. It's just a date, people. And one determined by an algorithm. And one determined by an algorithm that's changed through the years, and has different implementations between the Eastern and Western churches to boot.
So, yes, celebrate Jesus's resurrection this weekend - but you should every weekend (and every day) anyway. Don't make a false idol of a mere calendar.
He is risen! He is risen, indeed! And has been for every single day of the last 2,000 years, regardless of whenever "Easter" falls. Easter isn't tomorrow - it's every day.
6 comments:
Jim,
Thanks for this post, and again for the mention.
You might be right about causing some to be offended. Apparently I lost a couple of subscribers yesterday. I wasn't sure I should even have said anything. But oh well. :) It is wot it is.
Thanks again.
Jeff,
If you're not offending anyone, you probably aren't writing anything worth reading. :o)
Over the years, I feel like I've grown to understand Romans 14 pretty well. It seems straightforward in what it says, and gives all of us who follow Jesus the freedom to live in good conscience.
I may be a little too laissez-faire about such things, but I honestly regard all days as pretty much the same. However, I completely accept any expressions that other believers choose to engage in with regards to seasons and holy days.
I don't think there's any problem at all with people who do egg-hunts and chocolate bunnies and Peeps. For us living today, those are modern American holiday traditions, regardless of what their origins are. I actually think it's more helpful for those who practice the traditional liturgical calendar to regard things like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus as completely separate, parallel traditions. So you don't have to be angry and controversial every year with "Let's put Jesus back into Christmas!" and "The real meaning of Easter!", as if you're going to take the non-Christian culture by storm or convert them in the process.
Someday I may decide that there could be a beneficial use for the liturgical calendar or Jewish calendar or whatever, and start practicing related traditions. For now, I'm honestly pretty indifferent. I like what you said. Distant reflections of the Real Thing. I just want the Real Thing.
CH,
I am going to be posting on that topic in just a bit...
thanks for mentioning this :)
i ended up hitting 12!
not too shabby. peace to you,
maria
Maria,
I enjoyed reading your posts on the experience. I don't think I could've gotten through half that number.
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