Truth From Trappings

It is always a bit of a hiccup to sort out mixed holiday messages for our kids, to separate the truth from the trappings. Each Biblical holiday we observe as sacred has quite a different meaning served up relentlessly by our secularized society (usually with big, fat, tantalizing marketing and a significant price tag attached).

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus in a manger, in the meekest of surroundings amidst shepherds, goats, and hay, with a bright star lighting up the night sky overhead. But the world also brings us the traditional jolly fat guy in the red suit, who rides around in a sled magically pulled by very big deer with huge antlers (and at least one rather large lit red nose), stuffing presents down our chimneys and into enormous hanging socks. Hmmm. Try merging that into one clarified understanding for little minds.

At Easter, we have a giant bunny giving out pastel candy-filled eggs, and a resurrected Lord giving out the greatest gift mankind has ever received. Hmmm again. An obvious disparity in messages, as eggs are nowhere near as vital as the gift of Jesus. Try explaining that to an almost 4-year old who just got her first Cadbury Egg. As Jesus is always present in our lives, the excited, "sugar-fueled" novelty of the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus once a year is hard to combat in favor of the deeper meaning. Sadly, there is no such thing as a Cadbury Jesus Egg. If there were, it might make things a lot easier.

Not.

At some point, an explanation will be demanded by our kids, who will mercilessly hound us to answer their craving for reconciliation of the whole truth and nothing but. I remember when it happened for me - I was eight years old. Growing up, I remember throwing eggs down hills and searching for them in grassy fields - and how much fun I had with my family at those events. But I also never was led to believe that the eggs, bunny, plastic Easter Basket grass, chocolates and all of it was the REASON for the celebration. We always knew it was because of Jesus. And even though we realized that each time we celebrated Jesus (in birth or in death and resurrection), we always seemed to get presents, we knew from the beginning of our lives that these things were trappings, secondary to the reason - the message - the TRUTH of the sacred day. At eight years old, I told my parents I would have nothing more to do with eggs and the whole Easter Bunny thing. I shrugged off the childhood practices in search of a greater understanding of Easter. Strong convictions even then, I am sure my parents met this announcement with amusement and a fair bit of relief, as it meant they only had to fill two Easter baskets from then on instead of three.

At the tender age of eight I just decided that the facade of Easter, all the hollow celebrations involving eggs and bunnies, just were no match for Jesus. And that remains the condition of my heart to this day. If my instincts are correct, LaLa will come to this realization much earlier. And I am thrilled to anticipate this moment. Not for innocence lost in celebrating baskets and bunnies, but for wisdom gained in realizing there is more to Easter than eggs.

My promise to my children is to continue in the Godly tradition of my parents - to always separate truth from trappings. For our family, Easter is not about eggs, egg hunts, egg rolls, and the inevitable deviled-and-other-egg-recipes that follow for weeks. It is not about the vernal equinox or welcoming the spring. It is not about colorful baskets filled with trinkets. It is not about photo ops with big, white (is the Easter Bunny universally white, or is this just a West Coast thing?) bunnies, upon whose fluffy lap LaLa remains wary of sitting. And it is not about endless quantities of candy and elaborate ham dinners.

It is about Jesus and the eternal gift of salvation for all who believe. This day celebrates the core reason we even bother to navigate our way through this experience known as life. This day is about salvation and freedom, joy and love. It is about the most important gift we have or will ever be given. It is about life, abundantly.

When sacred observances of faith must share the spotlight with societal holiday traditions, I make the distinctions clear to my precious little ones between real and make-believe, between truth and trappings. There is no inherent need to forgo trappings to validate the truth as my 8- year old mind once concluded. The problem arises only when the reverse scenario occurs - and truth is forgone in favor of the trappings. I am committed to stand against that tide, and my prayer is that the words of the Bible are forever etched on my children's hearts, not the Easter Bunny and Santa's Elves. Toward this end I teach and love my children, aware that the message and person of Christ is not altered or lessened by the presence of Peeps, Robin Eggs and Cadbury products in our house this morning.

Which is such a relief, because those Reece's Peanut Butter eggs are ridiculously addicting.