For millions of Americans and for billions of Christians around the world, Easter delivers a message of hope and peace. That message is particularly important as our nation struggles with discord and enmity.
Admittedly, it can be difficult to focus on reconciliation as Easter arrives on Sunday. But amid contentious conflicts, the holiest day on the Christian calendar offers comfort for many. Christians throughout the world believe that Sunday marks the rising of Jesus from the dead, the promise of everlasting life, and a redemption from sin.
As Pope Francis has said in a previous Easter message: “Jesus, the Crucified One, is risen! He stands in the midst of those who mourned him, locked behind closed doors and full of fear and anguish. He comes to them and says: ‘Peace be with you!’”
For believers and nonbelievers alike, that call for peace should ring loudly. Regardless of one’s personal viewpoints or the differences between religions or the atrocities inflicted over millennia in the name of religion, we can find solace in messages of hope espoused by all faiths. As Proverbs 12:20 in the Bible says, “Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.”
And so, Christians on Sunday will gather with families and fellow worshippers to celebrate that promise. Many of the traditions to be observed can trace their origin to pagan rituals or to the Jewish holiday of Passover, but the mere date of the celebration is a source of confusion.
As History.com explains: “Easter typically falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox.” That can land the holiday anywhere between March 22 and April 25. Last year’s Easter fell on March 31, three weeks earlier than this year’s observance. Regardless of the date, Easter hails the end of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and sacrifice that begins with Ash Wednesday.
For Christians, Easter is about providing hope — a message that endures through times of pestilence. It is the oldest and most meaningful holiday on the calendar, dating in the Catholic Church to the year 326.
For Jewish people, that hope is represented by the eight-day Passover celebration, which ends today. The celebration commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and is believed to have evolved from a festival that predates the Exodus.
Other Easter traditions have been embraced by many secular and non-Christian people. Since pre-Christian times, eggs have symbolized fertility and birth, and over the centuries, they have become inextricably linked with Easter. So, too, has the Easter bunny, a tradition that historians believe arrived in the United States with early immigrants from Germany.
Such traditions are valuable for connecting us with our past and with the foundations of our humanity. As religion reporter Elizabeth Dias of The New York Times has written, “Religious ritual holds power not only because it connects people gathered in one space — it also connects people across time.”
That represents the power that believers find in all religions and all traditions of faith. As 19th-century evangelist Dwight L. Moody reputedly said: “We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining — they just shine.”
May those who celebrate Easter this weekend find inspiration for sharing their light.
Happy Easter.
