Winds of Resurrection…

Hallelujah Easter!

Easter comes around every year, marked by fun events such as the Easter parade in NYC where women and men can sport outrageous hats, be silly and be gay – both in the traditional and modern sense of the word, hallelujah! Kids love to go on egg hunts, putting down their electronic games while families prepare for Easter dinners. On the religion side, people who normally don’t show up to church might make an annual pilgrimage on Easter. It is all fun and cheer.

Easter seems to be imbedded in popular culture as a time of fun and games, but what is really the point for a secular world where most people are constantly running from authentic living and the quest for a deeper meaningful life? As I cruise through Facebook pictures I get the impression that many of us are eager to show off what a good time we are having, but is that forced happiness perhaps masquerading a hidden loneliness and silent despair?

The modern interpretation of Easter is about good times dressing-up, and popular culture seems to be addicted to good times, hence the real meaning of Easter is actually lost. The narrative connected to a teacher who once walked the face of the earth and was brutally executed because he had a vision of what the world could actually be (a place of LOVE guided by our care and concern for one another without judgment) gets totally lost in the pop culture narrative.

Life Sometimes Totally Sucks!

The brilliant secular world of the bewildered masses ignores the fact that before the celebration of Easter there is the dryness of the desert (Lent). Lent is an acknowledgement that life sometimes totally sucks and there is no escaping it. How we respond to that “suckiness” is what the journey is all about. Desperately trying to avoid it only leads to more suckiness, and fertilizes our suffering. Seeking the Easter experience without coming to terms with the desert chapters of our lives is a futile endeavor that can trap us in a vicious cycle of denial.

Recognizing and acknowledging the power of life over death is what the Easter narrative is all about. Despite all the crap we may encounter along the way — some of it our own doing, some of it the doing of others unto us, and some of it our doing onto others — LIFE still remains the victor over death when we choose to live authentic lives. The powers of darkness, gloom and despair could not contain Jesus in the tomb, or so the story goes. Whether we believe it literally or not is not the point, the meaning of the narrative for our lives is what matters most: LIFE HAS ULTIMATE POWER OVER DEATH!

There’s lots of spiritual wealth to be discovered in the Easter narrative. I invite you to check it out with fresh eyes and discover that there is more to it than the Easter parade, or even what some religious would have you believe. Easter is about going ever so deeply into whatever spiritual path you have taken leading you to an authentic life and community, if indeed you have chosen one. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once wrote: “There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic.” This is an Easter statement if ever I’ve read one.

It is my wish and prayer that the winds of Resurrection blow softly on your back. Stop running from the crap in your life; instead choose an authentic life where you are true to your deepest self. A choice like that cannot be contained, not even in a tomb. The photo I’ve chosen for this post conveys the feeling of Wind giving flight to life. The Winds of Resurrection are blowing in our direction ready to give us lift. Choose life, live authentically, be true to yourself! A blessed Easter season to all!