The Centrality of Easter and the Easter Season

Marc Chagall, "Exodus," 1966

Easter is not over, yet. While the public celebration of Easter seems to come in a shorter burst than, say, Christmas, Easter is the biggest holy day and longest festival celebration in the Christian year. Where Christmas is twelve days, Easter is seven weeks. I have tried my best to make up an "on the forty-first day of Easter"-type song, but stalled out at day twenty. How many times can you give someone Cadbury eggs?

Nonetheless, Easter celebrates the mystery at the heart of the Christian story and the Way of Jesus. Indeed, every Sunday is actually meant to be a "little Easter" celebration. What this all says to me is that Easter is so big that it's hard to keep it contained to a single celebration. So rather than making up an Easter song, I thought I'd share with you the poem we hosted as our call to worship on the Second Sunday of Easter--"Resurrection" by Anthony B. Robinson:

Resurrection
is a word I like

In the Sunday papers
there are pages of “Easter bunny specials,”
soft, sweet, safe

Resurrection
is not safe
Resurrection
disturbs,
shatters,
surges

As a mountain stream shoots between boulders
white-blue, foam and force
power that cannot be stopped

Resurrection
is a word I like

On Sunday morning
they thought he was safe,
safely dead and buried,
over with,
finished,
done -- finally.

The One who put the question
The One who spoke the promise
The One who said, “follow me,”
The One in whom the new creation came near
was dead and buried
safely
Bring on the bunnies, flowers, candy, sports, spectacles
and other safe substitutes for
Life

Resurrection
is a disturbing word;
it says,
we’re never safe
from God
from newness
from life
from grace

A disturbing, hopeful, shattering word
Resurrection
is a word I like

Easter is not only important for us, it's hard to escape. May the disturbing, shattering hopeful news of God's power for Life continue to surge for you the rest of this Easter season and beyond.