An Easter message

Easter is a time to pause and reflect on life

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A few years ago, I realized that I had forgotten to buy myself a Cadbury creme egg when they were in stores and found myself on a wild hunt for one the week after Easter.
Of course, all the candy had been sold at drastically reduced prices and the displays had been replaced with barbecue supplies and sunscreen. Christians celebrate Easter for 50 days from Easter Sunday until the day of Pentecost in June. Unlike stores that reduce candy to rock bottom prices the day after a celebration, we like to draw the celebration out. After all, we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and that’s something that just can’t be contained to one day for an hour or so.
In a world that likes to move on from thing to thing, pausing to celebrate Easter not just on April 21, but for the following 50 days, gives us an opportunity to reflect on who Jesus was and what he did. Yes, he rose from the dead, but more than that he taught love and justice and about a life where we don’t have to keep ourselves busy all the time. “Consider the lilies,” Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke, encouraging time to pause, reflect and see the joy that God has brought into the world.
As spring bursts into bloom around the area, we can’t help but see the glory of God. As we see each new bloom we can pause to thank God for the abundant life in creation and for the work of resurrecting our world from its winter hibernation and give thanks for the new life that has sprung forth. May you be blessed with time to pause, connect and give thanks during these 50 days of Easter and New Life.

Raabe is a spiritual leader at Oceanside Lutheran Church.