As a child,
Easter was the time the entire country jolted back to life. You see, a few
years ago (okay maybe more than just a few years ago), Holy Week meant an
entire week of silence. And by silence, I do mean silence, there were no TV
shows, malls were closed, and streets were basically empty. Easter was joyous
because it was finally time to get back to the streets and feel alive again
after days of being in the dark.
As I
reflect on what Easter used to mean to me, I couldn’t help but laugh at the
irony of it all. How many times have we lost ourselves in the dark, wanting to
be found by the light? As we grow older, we realize that Easter has nothing to
do with traditions and has everything to do with shedding light on the dark
places of our lives. Sometimes finding the light only takes a week, but most of
the time, finding the light takes weeks, months, and even years.
Most of the
time, we don’t even realize that we’re in the dark. Not until light comes
through the cracks of the pit that we’re in and we see that life could be
better than it currently is if we only to follow the light.
Easter has
always had a powerful meaning. It’s a symbol of a powerful Father rescuing his
beloved children who are the most undeserving of all by sending his own child
who did no wrong. When you’re in the harvest season of your life, it’s easy to
celebrate this gracious gift but it when you’re down on your knees that you
realize its true significance.
As I grew
older and did away with the superficial traditions of Easter, I grasped a
deeper understanding of what it symbolized – forgiveness, and most importantly,
redemption. Redemption from old habits, past hurts, and even offense we
personally carry within us that we can’t seem to shake off.
Offense is
often targeted at those who have hurt us – whether intentionally or
unintentionally, sometimes it could also be directed at ourselves but more
often than we would like to admit, it’s often directed at life and how bitter
we can be over the fact that it didn’t turn out the exact way we wanted it to
be.
Easter
offers us a time to reflect on all the things we must let go of in order to
finally let the light in. No matter how much pain we carry inside of us, we are
collectively brought together by our desire to have more light. To finally let
go of what could have been to usher in something better than we have planned
out in our heads.
Easter always feels like a restart, a rebirth but first we must be redeemed from everything that happened or didn’t happen in the past. It comes with accepting certain realities but not giving up on the hope that tomorrow’s reality could radically be better if I just learn to let go.
And in
doing so, in breaking cycles, in releasing hurts, and most importantly, in
accepting the greatest sacrifice of all, His love, we allow ourselves to not
just accept the light, but be the light.
And it is
in being the light that we finally escape the dark places, never to return
again.
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