Have We Forgotten What Easter is All About?

Her finder De den danske udgave af denne klumme

Don't take Easter from us!
Some time ago I heard someone complaining about some friends who were planning an Easter party on Good Friday, the day when Jesus suffered for all our sins. Have people really forgotten what Easter is all about, since they allow themselves the prerogative of partying on Good Friday, of all days?

Well, either that, or maybe some people just do not let Church rituals and precepts confuse and mislead them, and actually wish to celebrate Easter the way it had existed for generations before the birth of Christ.

Christianity immigrates and integrates

Centuries of violence, scare campaigns, political power struggles, pacts and treachery have resulted in Christianity as the most widespread religion in Europe. It was not the message of philanthropy and benevolence that attracted people to that new growing religion. It was the ruthlessness of the crusaders, the executioners of the inquisition, or, as the case was in Denmark – bishops' and monks' ability to negotiate their way to political power. The actual message of the Church was in many ways of little importance to the Church's activity and often contradictory to its actions. The Christian idea of turning the other cheek was distributed by physical violence and political intrigues.

In its claim for power, the Church interfered in the already existing festive occasions and demanded ownership over them in order to extend its authority. That's how Christmas was suddenly declared Jesus' birthday and Easter his resurrection. The Church has become such an integrated part of the lives of Europeans, that to this day it is considered in most European countries a natural part of life and of the personal and national identities. In a historic perspective, Christianity's grip on Denmark is a fairly modern phenomenon. Yet, in the public consciousness, it is such an integral part of life, that public debates include frequent references to the country's Christian traditions, whereas the country's Nordic traditions seem to have fallen into oblivion.

Revival and rebirth during this marvellous season can be experienced in the field and the meadow, in the forest, in the animal kingdom and in the farmer's stocks that ran low during the long winter months. The metaphor to Jesus is clear. But the expectation that we should mix grief over Jesus' death with spring-party, derails our attention from this ancient delightful celebration of life, which has always revolved around the cycle of seasons, as it manifests itself in the most basic conditions of life, and which is most natural to celebrate. Instead, our attention is being led to an imposed symbol, which is indeed used to convey fine ideas and thoughts, but which does not go hand in hand with the old worldly traditions.

The Church may well be a bystander

The Church can be an excellent supplement to our spiritual existence. But it cannot substitute it. Human spirituality emerges from the heart and expresses itself in the most fantastic ways. It has always done that. It's done that before the Church tried to institutionalise it, it still does that, and it does not need to be tamed by arbitrary, rigid rules. Easter time is time for joy. Spring has arrived and we are surrounded by nature's pomp and splendour. Let us celebrate it. Let us enjoy and celebrate spring without false and forced pangs of conscience.