Extremes of Dark and Light

Easter. I love the fact that Easter, like Christmas, is really a big party that's all about Jesus. It's totally a celebration of new life that includes bunnies and eggs and baskets and pastel dresses. It's a party!! I love the joyful part that comes with Easter Sunday morning. The putting on the party clothes and going to the party (church) where we sing happy songs about Jesus' coming back to life. The having a fun family dinner with ham and scalloped potatoes and deviled eggs. It's a happy, happy day.

But there is this other part of the Easter event that comes before the party. It's the dark side that includes remembering that Jesus had to lose His life to get it back. It's the part that many of us might give fleeting thought to as we approach the Easter Sunday party. It's the part that I must acknowledge before I can truly celebrate. It's knowing that He willingly gave up His life so I could have mine. And it didn't happen in a pretty way. There was pain, there was suffering, there was separation, there was sadness. But if there weren't that, the party wouldn't mean much, would it?

And so, we go to Good Friday service first. It's a heavy occasion where we focus on the dark side. We acknowledge, we remember, we confess. Why do we do it? Because if we didn't, we wouldn't be able to enjoy the party in the same way. It's like coming out of the blackest dark into the brightest bright sun. It's much like a glorious warm spring day after a long, cold winter. It's so much sweeter after having gone through the bitter part.

I embrace the contrast. Tomorrow is a heavy day. And then comes the party!!

Happy Easter!!!