Easter season 2009

Despite the theological difficulties Easter poses to Unitarian Universalists, (and to liberal Christians, generally) it still remains my favorite holiday. One part of the holiday I especially appreciate, and which often goes un-remarked, is that Easter is not just a day, but a season in the Christian calendar. The season of Easter extends from Easter Sunday all the way to Pentecost, 50 days later (“pente” means 50 in Greek). That’s May 31 this year.

We have a full 7 weeks to celebrate the miracle of life emerging from seeming death. When times are tough, as they are for many of us these days, I’m grateful for the spiritual assurance that the future is always open, spring follows winter, good times grow out of bad times just as bright flowers grow out of the dark earth.

Whether the stock market and real estate prices have hit their bottom yet remains to be seen. But undoubtedly they will at some point fall as low as they are going to go and begin to turn around. But the deeper and even more refreshing lesson of Easter is that the new life we will eventually enjoy isn’t just a remaking of the past (with all its unregulated, greedy and speculative flaws) but an entirely new life: a chance not just to re-build, but to build anew. New creation takes more than just a day, and more than just 50 days, but with vision and perseverance we can have the world we seek.