I absolutely love Easter.
I appreciate the transition between each of the four seasons; spring, a time to see the sun again and the unmatchable sense of ‘newness’ all around. I love the feel of walking outside without a sweater on for the first time in months. I love white wedged heels and floral dresses. But, more than anything, I love Easter because of what it means in my life year round. It’s perfect that we celebrate Easter at the start of spring, because Easter IS new life in every way possible.
Easter is another one of those holidays that has been ‘Americanized’- focused on bunny ears and chocolate- and made into something entirely that it, frankly, is not. If you ask me, this is pretty offensive. (But, don’t get me wrong, I love holidays and I love the fun side of Easter, that just isn’t what the focus should be.) Easter to me is everything my life circulates around. Easter to me is love. It is sacrifice. It is the cornerstone to my entire faith. I believe in God. If that rubs you wrong, I am not sorry. Love can be offensive- I believe that wholeheartedly. I believe in the God who sent his son, Jesus, to live a life fully human whilst fully God, and then put himself as a sacrifice- as the propitiation for sin- in order to give those who profess faith in him life + hope. I know it can sound crazy, heck it IS crazy, but I believe it all to be 100% true. History has proven time after time that it’s more accurate to believe in God, the story of Jesus, than to believe in the Big Bang Theory. Science, like history, continues to prove more that the story and life of Jesus was true.
This is why Easter is so important to me.
I can have doubts, I can think to myself, “Hannah, are you sure you want to believe this?” But, at the end of the day, I have experienced a relationship with God of the universe too real to deny any practical things I might come up with in my head that counter faith. Faith isn’t supposed to make sense, faith isn’t logical. Faith is blind. Faith is built on hope. Faith is steadfast.
I have faith.
No matter what this world says about us, I have faith that stands firm. I know my God is real, and I know that Jesus died on the cross for me to close the gap between me and God. Now, I get to live knowing there is always more. There is hope. There is purpose. I get to love others freely. There is a weight taken off of my shoulders about living up to something or finding value in things that will disappoint. I get to make mistakes knowing my God loves me despite my shortcomings, and that I will NEVER measure up and that’s PERFECT. I know I am imperfect, but that He is perfection. Best of all, I get to talk to God of the universe whenever I want or need to.
That’s Christianity.
Faith is not logical. I have to tell myself that a whole lot. I am too practical for my own good far too often. I like to make sense of things- how did “a” become “b”. What was the process? What did “location” look like 100 years ago, and how did it become what it is today?
I have hold tight to faith. It doesn’t have to make sense.
I hope that you celebrate Easter seeking more than bunny ears and chocolate this year. I hope you get to experience the love of a God who answers prayers, brings revelation, and brings peace like you cannot explain. The God who brings people into your life that you specifically prayed for, relieves anxiety, and loves you more than you could ever imagine is accessible and close to you. He is always good- even when we are in seasons that all we have is enough energy to muster up more desperation in prayer for God to show up in a specific situation, he remains good. He is so for you, friends. SO FOR YOU.
I want to say it once more- faith isn’t logical. I hope you hear me when I say this. History has proven Jesus was real, he lived, he walked, he died, and he disappeared from a tomb. There is record of many people seeing him after death- what do you do with that OTHER THAN know He is who he said he is.
It sounds crazy. YES. But, it’s crazy love.
If you live anywhere remotely close to McKinney and don’t have a church to attend on Easter Sunday, I hope you come see us at Anchor Church. I would love to meet you, talk with you, and worship with you. We will be at the Courtyard Marriott in Allen instead of the Sheraton of McKinney for just this one week. This is to open up more space for YOU to come (we have reached near capacity at Sheraton!)
I love y’all deeply. I know ‘religion’ is a controversial topic. But, even if we disagree, I hope this can raise healthy conversation. I love receiving emails from you. If you have questions about faith, I would love to answer them the best I can.
Happy Easter, friends.
xoxo- Han
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