Easter – More than just an Egg
Easter morn has dawned and the three day deluge has stopped at last. Three days of non stop rain is hardly what one expects in Spain in April. Yet now the heavy dark clouds are lifting, the sky has lightened and every so often a ray of sunshine sneaks through. Easter is a time of message . It is a moment when the veil between worlds and seasons parts, and mankind’s search for meaning collides with mankind’s unity with nature and the physical world.
Easter is a time of new beginnings, a call to new life, a time of resurrection. The timing of this Christian remembrance of the Resurrection of Christ is no accident and mirrors older celebrations of the coming of Spring and the renewal of growth in nature. The cycle of the seasons lifts the heart, the wheel of nature turns, flowers begin to open, grass grows, the days lengthen, light replaces darkness. In a similar manner the Resurrection Of Christ opens a new chapter of hope and light. Life exists beyond the physical confines of this earth, change can happen and be embraced, no matter how extreme the suffering there exists salvation and renewal of the human spirit and soul.
We are creatures who search for meaning. We are physical and yet of the Spirit at the same time. Our physical body and existence is bound to and at one with the earth from which we spring and to which we return. It is the physical being that renews our life and extends the presence of the human race on earth generation by generation. Yet we are also of the Spirit and of Soul and in this we are bound to the energy flow and essence of life that fills all things in the natural world. We know that there is more to living and to life than the physical birth and death of the body, of plants, of animals and of all things material. There is a Resurrection into new life, new consciousness and new existence that is born of the Spirit.
So Easter is a turning point, both in terms of spiritual symbolism but also in terms of the cycle of creation in the natural world. It is a gateway of hope, and an opportunity to start anew. It gives us time to pause and consider the way in which we live, the values that drive our choices, the impact we have on others and on our Planet, and above all the inner faith, anchors of belief and understanding that brings us peace and centres us as human beings. No matter what your religious tradition, no matter if you have none, Easter is a deep call that touches the truth of our common humanity, and speaks to how we shape our life journey.
The key is to be open to listen and to realise that the Easter moment is a call to rethink and reset our lifestyle and our journey direction. The secret is to do so in a spirit of Openness, setting aside the chains of dogma and ideology , being receptive to and accepting of the richness of diversity and difference, and looking for new revelation and insight in the experience and reality of simply living.
All religious traditions place a premium on developing the gift of mediation or in the modern terminology mindfulness. To be simply totally in the present moment can deepen the sense of awareness and emotional connection to past, present and future ; to hopes and fears ; to the wisdom of the heart. Easter is an alarm clock moment in the year that can call us to that openness and mindful presence to ourselves, others and the world we shape and create.
