The first happened one time when I was in junior high, when we were living in Malang, Indonesia. My family was driving from Malang to Surabaya early Easter morning. It was a two hour drive, so we had to leave pretty early in order to arrive in Surabaya in time for an Easter service. At one of the intersections, a man riding a motorcycle came through the intersection from the other direction and we hit him. The rule of the road in Indonesia is that the larger vehicle is almost always at fault, so we were responsible even though it was the motorcyclists fault. My dad was preaching that day, so we couldn't linger at the accident, but we promised the man that we would return later that day and pay all of his medical costs. The only reason we were allowed to leave was because a person at the church we were going to was in the military, so he used his government status to vouch for my dad.
The next memory was only a year or two later, still while we lived in Malang. We were at a Sunrise Service with our English-speaking church. My friend's mom was leading a kid-friendly part of the service before the main message, and she asked the question, "Why do we celebrate Easter?" One of the kids, the little brother of my friend, excitedly shouted, "He is rosen!"
The third happened my junior year in high school. My parents were still in Malang, but I was in boarding school in the Philippines. The Philippines is a Catholic country, so there are many traditions during holy week. The first happens on Maundy Thursday--there is a pilgrimage to the main churches. The roads are almost undrivable, because crowds of people are marching toward the local cathedral. Many of the people are hitting themselves with whips and some even nailed to a cross--these public displays of pain are intended to show God how seriously devoted these Filipino Catholics are. Two days later is Black Saturday. On this day, God is dead. No, not symbolically--the Filipinos truly believe that God is dead until he rises on Easter Sunday. This is a day of fear--all believe that if they die on Black Saturday, then the dead God cannot save them. Roads are empty, businesses are closed, and no risks are taken, because there is so much fear that they could die.
So what do traffic accident, an excited child, and misguided traditions mean for Easter 2010? Just a reminder that somethings never change: God still protects, faith like a child is so much truer and exciting than the faith of adults, and our misunderstandings about God lead to unnecessary practices. Another thing that never changes: "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn 3:16, NIV).
I have heard that the only certainty in life is that you'll eventually die, but this Easter, don't forget that God's death was temporary. "He is rosen!" It doesn't take childish faith and childish grammar to remember this basic fact--Jesus is not in the grave, He is risen and death, "the only certainty in life," has failed.
Have a blessed Easter. Enjoy some chocolate, enjoy some eggs, and remember what Christ did for us about 2000 years ago.
