Does anyone else have memories of those neon multi-colored eggs that a teacher at Sunday School got out and popped opened each one that had little pieces of Holy Week, some palm branch, fake silver coins, a cross and nails? I was thinking of how much I loved those visual representstions as we were told the Gospel from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday.
Such a simple and ingenious way of helping kids understand the most important events in our faith and history. Nowadays there is probably an app with virtual eggs you tap on a touch screen that opens with images or maybe even video from movies or scenes of Holy Week made by the ministry that hosts the app. Honestly, that would be neat as an upgrade, but I think tangibleness of the eggs and elements of Jesus our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection represented in crosses, coins, and etc is useful. I think kids are already on screens so much, and could watch such content on their own, but to turn off the smartphones, smartglasses, tablets, TVs, and etc to spend time around props as you go over the parts of the Gospels is a memory that should be made. We really need to regulate screens in church, to make time to shut em off not just for prayer and Communion, but for moments like easter eggs full of the story of Holy Week. When I look back the most easy memories to access as a kid were when I touched something, like I recall better my relative and I pretending to be Terminators after watching the movie in our home better than sitting watching the screen, I can still feel that cold black metal toy shot gun you cocked and it made a pop noise when you pulled he trigger. In the same way, moments like touching the cross wood and nails in the Easter Egg Holy Week Set and listening to the teacher remains with me; the tactile aspect of things is getting lost in this digital age, the truth is memories tie better to touchable props and things, its why people now in their thirtiee are ordering replicas of that Flute Knife of the Green Ranger or the action figure from their youth, to reconnect with that touch tied to their memories of childhood. We need to do this for the faith more, to commemorate major moments with something tangible and tactile.
A reason Communion is so memorable is we touch something, a chalice or little plastic cups with wine or grape juice, and wafer or little bread. In the same way we need to add to Holy Week and other celebration some more tactile (touch) experiences, trust me, they will be remembered. Amen.
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