Is THE Bunny really winning the day?

Something happened on the way to the Easter celebration. The Bunny took over. Let me explain.

Shopping recently in one of those large box stores for some Easter greeting cards I found that out of ten display sections of Easter cards there was only 1 devoted to religious themes. The ratio of 9:1 – Bunny to Resurrection – was kind of disturbing. The Bunny has taken over the day!

I’m not so disturbed about Santa Claus running away with Christmas. After all most of the trappings for Christmas have been adopted from the pagan culture. Within the context of Christmas the church has taken over the various worldly celebrations or as one observer of the church/culture clash said, “The church simply has tried for centuries to cash in on a good thing.” There is a single trappings of Christmas that was originated by the church. They all have been adopted from the surrounding pagan culture. But what happened to Easter?

Easter was the churches celebration. There wasn’t anything within popular cultural celebrations that came anywhere near the glorious news of resurrection and life, but somewhere along the way the Bunny took over.

Oh, I agree that come Easter morning the sunrise services will be packed, the church pews filled and the world will once again stop to remember what happened at that garden tomb centuries earlier. The choral voices will raise the beautiful strains of the Hallelujah Chorus and preachers will share one of the most exciting messages men and women have ever heard. One of the senior pastors I worked with always preached his best sermon on Easter morning. After complimenting him one year about this sermon he said, “Well, Easter is almost worth getting excited about.” Hmmm … but, on the way to resurrection morning the Bunny has taken over.

Eggs will be colored, candy bought, baskets filled and a new pair of shoes bought. I will place around my neck my traditional Easter necktie of the Wizard of Oz. Some have found my tie rather strange for Easter until I take the time to explain the religious images found within the entire Oz series of stories. Families will gather for an Easter celebration lunch or dinner, photos taken … and, Easter 2011 will be celebrated. But, who will get the most attention: Christ or the Bunny?

Growing up it seemed that the emphasis was solidly placed on Christ and resurrection. The Orange Bowl was packed with early risers who gathered in the dark for the glorious pageantry of one of the most breathe taking sunrise services I can remember. The combined choirs of hundreds of churches throughout Miami joined their voices together to sing in the dawning of a new day. Youth groups would come as groups to sit in the chilled air to wait with anticipation for the story to be told once again. Some would come in their Sunday best because they would be going directly to their church’s worship services following the hour presentation, while others would come in shorts or jeans or whatever. But they would come, people of all races and nationalities, to one place for one celebration to hear the glorious message of Easter.

But now … not so much … the Bunny has taken over.

Presently there is a delightful and popular movie in the theatres, HOP. I haven’t seen it yet, but probably will before the week is out … but it is about a bunny … THE Bunny. I will be looking, searching to see if there is any slight message of resurrection, new life, hope, forgiveness, sacrifice, anything that could be slightly related to Easter and Jesus. I don’t want the Bunny to win the world over. Oh, I enjoy the candy … probably a little too much … but the rest they can have. I will take the resurrection story any day of the week and, although the Bunny is cute and cuddly, the power of resurrection and new life is needed today more than ever.

Quote for today: The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. ~Robert Flatt