New Life in Spring
Last night we watched a movie about a boy who grew up in LA and eventually became the co-Easter Bunny. It was a cute story with a flying egg pulled by magical flying chicks, failed job interviews, and a second in command of the Easter Workshop who goes rogue in hopes of becoming the Easter Bunny himself. It was colorful, energetic, and non-violent...a no brainer for a Saturday night movie with the kids. There's even a scene where the Easter Bunny's son, co-Easter Bunny to be, proves to the hero that he's the Easter Bunny by "laying" jelly beans. Not sure how the FDA would feel about kids eating those!
What's funny is I had two other Easter Bunny interactions this week that changed how I see our hyper-commercialized American holiday. The first instance sums up my former feels about the holiday pretty well: I'm sitting in an office where there's a TV playing something neutral and non-offensive to all customers in the corner. On comes an ad for Lindt Chocolate Bunnies, you know the kind, you start by snapping the ears off and then wonder why fat squirrels aren't very appealing. I was pondering that little life puzzle when the ad finished with, "Lindt, make Easter come alive again." I think the receptionist heard my blood pressure rise because she looked up. I mean really?! As a father myself, I struggle daily to fathom the love of a Father who would sacrifice His Son for me. Jesus died because of my sin, so that I might be alive again with him. I was outraged at this silly holiday with egg-laying bunnies, and it slid further towards the top of my list of traditions not allowed in my home.
Oddly enough, it was dinosaurs, a candy exhibit at the Bishop Museum, and that same fat squirrel, I mean bunny, that changed my perception of our Americanized Easter forever. I should explain a bit. See, Matt is terrified by dinosaurs. This is my fault, because every time we go to a dinosaur exhibit, I try to feed Matt to one. Not my best moments as a dad, but he usually forgives me. A few weeks ago, I chaperoned his school field trip to the Bishop Museum and he was actually excited to see the dinosaur exhibit with his friends. It was closed, but I saw my window of opportunity to right a wrong. So we all went back yesterday for kama'aina day, only to find the dinosaurs had been replaced with a candy exhibit. I will be the first to admit that the thought of walking my kids through a building full of fake candy seemed like a terrible idea, but they had just eaten lunch, so we took a chance. As a side note, it really was a neat exhibit and I would recommend anyone go, just not when you are hungry.
Inside, the exhibit was laid out in a meandering maze of the history of candy. We wandered corridors of marshmallow, licorice, sugar cane, sugar beets, and corn. There were the usual hundred-word display placards but there were also audio loops the kids could activate with light-up buttons. And then there he was, my fat squirrel, right in the middle of the section on Easter. I felt my blood boiling again as I walked over to see what his placard had to say about his egg laying abilities.
"The chocolate bunny is an Easter favorite-90 million are made annually. What's the right way to eat one? A majority says start with the ears! Why does the Easter Bunny bring eggs? Both hares and eggs are symbols of the new life we see in springtime!"
There it was, "new life." And suddenly I had peace with this yummy bunny. We were on the same team all along, I just wasn't listening to Lindt's message of new life. That's the gospel message in two words, New Life. It's our job as believers here on earth to spread that message, that good news, to the dead. Jesus came so that we might have New Life in Him, "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." The Easter Bunny and those silly eggs remind us that we are new again, that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." We "were dead in [our] trespasses and sins," but Christ died for us so that we might be made new. Paul wrote, "it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me." He came to die and wash away our sins, but he also came to show us how to live! He lived a perfect life so that in our New Life we would have an example of how to glorify God, love our Brothers, and spread the good news of New Life in Jesus Christ. (John 3:15, II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1, Galatians 2:20, ESV)
So if you are like I was, dreading the spring because of the fat squirrel, I recommend giving up. Lindt, Jelly Belly, and all the rest of those delicious confectioners have thrown their marketing might our way as we proclaim New Life every Easter. I praise God for their help (and for their chocolate). Instead of fighting the Easter Bunny, join him. Snap off those yummy bunny ears, enjoy spring's blossoming flowers and bright colors, and proclaim the New Life these things remind us of in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Aloha,
Uncle Woody
What's funny is I had two other Easter Bunny interactions this week that changed how I see our hyper-commercialized American holiday. The first instance sums up my former feels about the holiday pretty well: I'm sitting in an office where there's a TV playing something neutral and non-offensive to all customers in the corner. On comes an ad for Lindt Chocolate Bunnies, you know the kind, you start by snapping the ears off and then wonder why fat squirrels aren't very appealing. I was pondering that little life puzzle when the ad finished with, "Lindt, make Easter come alive again." I think the receptionist heard my blood pressure rise because she looked up. I mean really?! As a father myself, I struggle daily to fathom the love of a Father who would sacrifice His Son for me. Jesus died because of my sin, so that I might be alive again with him. I was outraged at this silly holiday with egg-laying bunnies, and it slid further towards the top of my list of traditions not allowed in my home.
Oddly enough, it was dinosaurs, a candy exhibit at the Bishop Museum, and that same fat squirrel, I mean bunny, that changed my perception of our Americanized Easter forever. I should explain a bit. See, Matt is terrified by dinosaurs. This is my fault, because every time we go to a dinosaur exhibit, I try to feed Matt to one. Not my best moments as a dad, but he usually forgives me. A few weeks ago, I chaperoned his school field trip to the Bishop Museum and he was actually excited to see the dinosaur exhibit with his friends. It was closed, but I saw my window of opportunity to right a wrong. So we all went back yesterday for kama'aina day, only to find the dinosaurs had been replaced with a candy exhibit. I will be the first to admit that the thought of walking my kids through a building full of fake candy seemed like a terrible idea, but they had just eaten lunch, so we took a chance. As a side note, it really was a neat exhibit and I would recommend anyone go, just not when you are hungry.
Inside, the exhibit was laid out in a meandering maze of the history of candy. We wandered corridors of marshmallow, licorice, sugar cane, sugar beets, and corn. There were the usual hundred-word display placards but there were also audio loops the kids could activate with light-up buttons. And then there he was, my fat squirrel, right in the middle of the section on Easter. I felt my blood boiling again as I walked over to see what his placard had to say about his egg laying abilities.
"The chocolate bunny is an Easter favorite-90 million are made annually. What's the right way to eat one? A majority says start with the ears! Why does the Easter Bunny bring eggs? Both hares and eggs are symbols of the new life we see in springtime!"
There it was, "new life." And suddenly I had peace with this yummy bunny. We were on the same team all along, I just wasn't listening to Lindt's message of new life. That's the gospel message in two words, New Life. It's our job as believers here on earth to spread that message, that good news, to the dead. Jesus came so that we might have New Life in Him, "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." The Easter Bunny and those silly eggs remind us that we are new again, that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." We "were dead in [our] trespasses and sins," but Christ died for us so that we might be made new. Paul wrote, "it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me." He came to die and wash away our sins, but he also came to show us how to live! He lived a perfect life so that in our New Life we would have an example of how to glorify God, love our Brothers, and spread the good news of New Life in Jesus Christ. (John 3:15, II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1, Galatians 2:20, ESV)
So if you are like I was, dreading the spring because of the fat squirrel, I recommend giving up. Lindt, Jelly Belly, and all the rest of those delicious confectioners have thrown their marketing might our way as we proclaim New Life every Easter. I praise God for their help (and for their chocolate). Instead of fighting the Easter Bunny, join him. Snap off those yummy bunny ears, enjoy spring's blossoming flowers and bright colors, and proclaim the New Life these things remind us of in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Aloha,
Uncle Woody
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