Your April 20 editorial, “Easter is a time for love and renewal” began: “For millions of Christians around the world, Easter is a time to celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection. For millions of Jews, Passover represents the celebration of the release of the Israelites from the Egyptian Pharaohs.” This is true, but the two coincide because the lambs’ blood on the Israeli slaves’ doors in Egypt was indicative of Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah being the Sacrificial Lamb, who shed His own blood to become the Savior of Jews and Gentiles alike, who believe on Him.
The editorial stated: “The ideal of Easter for many is to merely contemplate the moment, whether it is religious in nature or not. Maybe you go to Church every Sunday, or maybe you go to church on Easter Sunday. Maybe you don’t go to church at all, or maybe you don’t belong to a Judeo-Christian religion.” This is true, and because for so many Easter is not “religious in nature,” the very reason Easter should be celebrated as a Spring Holiday, totally separated from Resurrection Sunday.
By all means, celebrate the renewal of plant life, and new birth well represented by eggs, chicks and highly reproductive bunny rabbits adopted from ancient pagan fertility worship, but Christ’s resurrection represents rebirth into spiritual life, far removed from physical birth. And, as you pointed out in “The terrorizing of young’uns” on the same page, “a visit with the Easter Bunny” does not always create a pleasant memory.
Although it was meant to be humorous, the DENNIS THE MENACE carton in the same edition is a revelation. Dennis said: “Remember guys … Easter isn’t just about finding the eggs … we’re also celebrating a magical bunny that laid them.” In reality, how many children are more focused on a “magical bunny” than our Savior’s sacrifice? Could we, the Christian citizens of Scotland County, start a worldwide crusade to change Easter into a spring holiday or festival on a separate date, and make Resurrection Sunday a day of appreciation for our Savior’s sacrifice, void of any distractions?
What do you think?
Robert C. Currie Jr.
Laurinburg