Celebrating New Life

Easter 23/50

I was reading through the Easter section of Let Us Keep The Feast today and appreciated the author's understanding of the new life of spring as part of Eastertide (see passage below). The modern church has often been suspicious of adopting cultural practices, and I love the approach of discerningly adopting and adapting; recognizing that all good gifts ultimately come from God and point to him.

Take a page from the early church. Early in church history, Easter traditions started to mirror pagan spring festivals. The idea was to use the language of the surrounding culture to communicate the gospel. In the spring, pagan religions of Western Europe and the Middle East held fertility festivals to celebrate new life. Early Christians borrowed symbols from those festivals (eggs, bunnies, etc.) as a way to transform what were typically celebrations of base desire and show a greater life was possible. If fertility was worthy of feasting and partying, how much more so eternal life? So do what the early church did. Celebrate life! Go for a hike. Spend time outside drinking in the beauty of creation . Spring is usually the season for wildflowers. Go see them! Paint, write, sing, and dance. Let the joy of the season overflow.                         

Our family has certainly been enjoying the new life of Spring this Eastertide.  The past few weeks have been filled with gardening and wee chicks, which aren't very wee anymore!  To be honest, there have been moments when I've felt a little overwhelmed by it all.  I have even wished that I had more time for remembering and celebrating Easter with the boys, but when I think of what we are gaining as we plant and tend and I am reminded that the celebration of new life is all part of Eastertide, I'm very grateful for this land and these girls we've been given to care for. Alleluia!