Easter 2011

Easter is a tricky holiday, for Christians and non-Christians alike. The idea of Easter is triumph of someone really important and, by extention, the triumph of his gentle guidelines for living. But we don't go to church, turned off by the inevitable all too human politics that block any real feeling of how to do the right thing on any given day. So the desire to celebrate is muted. The extended family lunch has been successful; that is, including the ingredients that appear to be appropriate for Easter Brunch, ham and potato salad. The discussion around the table touches on Easter only briefly. With the inquisitivem curious an impatient tweens at the table, conversation swings - no pun intended - to spring softball practices and recollections of the grandfather's career ending injury as an 8 year old. What is missing is a sense of some positive consequence of this Jesus Christ's triumph. Do we not need to worry about life anymore? If, by believing in the rules this guy laid out, we are saved, shouldn't there be fewer bitchy people in church?

Even though Easter moves around, it typically shows up somewhere in the midst of a very tentative spring. The grass looks green and the rain feels like feed for the growth to come. But it's still cold and wet. Inhospitable to hair like mine that is unwilling to accommodate moisture without exploding into gentle fuzz.