Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Current mood: adventurous Category: Religion and Philosophy
I stood at the foot of my grandparents graves some years ago now. Standing in that little country cematary in Northeast Alabama these words of joy filled my mind. Happy Easter! Now it wasn't Easter as far as the holiday went but it meant the world to me. It told me that somehow they were home! The grave held nothing more than the elements waiting to go back to the earth. Happy Easter! Now years later as a self styled "liberal" Christian who has left the fire and brimstone of my youth behind I think of Easter. I think back over my life and the meaning of Easter! I have to be honest I no longer feel that I deserve the fires of hell for the life I've lived. I actually can't see a loving God calling for the sadistic torture of souls. But Easter has lost none of it's meaning to me. The story of Easter is not simply sinners in the hands of an angry god. No I am not writing here to challenge your faith or make fun of your core vaules and beliefes. I am writing here in celebration! In no other religion in the world. Not in buddishm and it's wonderful meditation that I honestly respect and enjoy. Not in Hinduism with it's multitude of gods and goddess and not even in the beauty of nature that Wicca enjoys do I find this one gem of the faith of my childhood. That the maker of the entire cosmos could Love so fully and so perfectly that he/she/spirit would become one of us. That he would put on mortality not in a fire and brimstone follow me way. But in the ultimate sacrafice of a parent to a sick child. You might take your childs suffering upon yourself if it would release him or her but would you do it for a brother or a sister or a stranger or one who doens't even have the capacity to love you back? Would you do it just to join in! Not to cure or release from pain but to literally join in the pain! That is love! To take part in the suffering of the poor helpless beings that don't even know how to thank you. That is Easter! Not that we don't taste death but that he enters it with us and finally brings us (each of us in time)out the other side! He is risen indeed! So am I! So will I!