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Post Easter Blues

 


 After Easter much like after Christmas is a hard time. The whole of Christendom, all Christians are focused on celebrating the same important part of Christ's work, which unites us all no matter the denominational lines. It makes us all pilgrims, not Baptists or Charismatics, we all are the same gathering to celebrate The Passion and Ressurection of Christ. Then when that ends, and we return to ordinary time, it can be very hard to bear. For two days, maybe a week, you experience a unitas with all believers, as we all incline our hearts and minds to The Gospel. It is such a special and euphoric experience because we are able to stop any brother and sister, and talk about the Essentials, and celebrate together Christ Died For all Our Sins, and Rose From the Dead! That is why the ordinary period after is so numbing, we go back to the comfortable thresholds of our denominational lines, and do not come back together for Christmas.

The Feasts of the Lord had a similar effect for Hebrews. No matter what sect one belonged to, Pharisees, Sadducee, Zealot, Essenes, or today's Ultra Orthodox, Reformed, and Conservative, they all came together for Passover, Tabernacles, and Hanukkah. In the same way, we The Church come together for Easter and Christmas. It is a shame that we do not have more unifying holidays, there is Pentecost, when The Holy Spirit descended with Tongues of Fire, though I have not found many denominations that all make it an important holiday. The Ascension of Christ is important, and it takes place forty days after Easter, and still that is not universally something we gather as the universal body of believers for. So between Easter and Christmas we have this chasm of ordinary time, and it very jarring.

How do we cope with Ordinary Time? That Easter and the unity is brings to the Church as whole ends and we are back to our bubbles and circles? Honestly, I do not know. You can compel people to celebrate Pentecost or Ascension Day. Instead it seems we have to bear it and wait till Christmas to have the connection and closeness with all Christian brothers and sisters. Perhaps in a way it makes it more special, the two times of year that we all can approach one another without labels and divisions, and celebrate Christ! At least we have that! Imagine if we did not! So we must fill the time between the great holidays of our faith. I know if you go on pilgrimages, say to the Holy Land, you do get to feel as Easter, everyone is simply a Disciple of Christ, not their denominational names. I highly suggests if you have the means and health, that you do a pilgrimage, it will give you a greater taste of the Unity that you feel at Easter and Christmas.

It is sad that we will have probably wait till Jesus Returns and the Wedding Supper of the Lamb to have the full unity that we experience in part during Easter, Christmas, and Pilgrimages. I finally understand why Jesus prayed for us to be unified, for it is a such a happy experience to be in fellowship with one another in Christ, "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." (John 17:20-21). Amen.

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