Easter is more than just a day on the calendar

Apr. 8—In the Christian faith community, Easter comes with many connotations.

Christian denominations of every stripe will celebrate Easter this Sunday, remembering the death and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity's central figure, believed by adherents to be the son of God and the savior of humanity.

"Jesus' birth, death and resurrection changed everything,"

said the Rev. Chris Winford, pastor of First Baptist Church of Brunswick.

It's impossible to discuss Christ's death with out the rest of his life, Winford says. The Bible tells of his birth to a virgin, Mary, and his resurrection three days after being crucified — both central proofs of the Christian faith.

"You can look at all the graves in the world. The Buddha is still there; Mohammad's bones are still there. You go to the tomb of Jesus, he's not there," Winford said.

When he died, per the Bible, Christ did so while taking the blame for all sins committed against God, providing salvation and a means for everyone to go to Heaven when they die.

The political environment of the day is something less discussed, but important in illustrating the basis of the Christian faith, Winford said.

Palm Sunday is a big event on the Christian calendar, but back in the day it was also something of a political statement, he explained. Christ rode into Jerusalem, the holiest city of the Jewish people, riding a donkey while believers laid palm fronds in his path.

At the same time, King Herod, then the ruler of the region under the Roman Empire, entered the city in a grand parade — "horses, soldiers and full of grandeur," Winford continued.

"It was two worlds colliding, the kingdom of God vs. the kingdom of man," he said.

On the surface, it would appear there was no comparison. In spirit, however, the two events were the exact opposite. In the spiritual realm, no human parade could compete with the glory of God.

Later, when Jesus was crucified, the authorities saw it as a triumph, he said.

"Herod, the Romans, the kings of men, tried to remove the kingdom of God," Winford explained. "They were the picture of what man always wanted to do and be."

They wanted to be the rulers of the world, but Winford says the end of that story is already written, and it doesn't end well for those opposed to Christ.

"When Christ is on the throne, joy, justice and righteousness prevail," Winford said. "The resurrection is proof his justice and righteousness will win the cosmic battle."

The Rev. Alan Akridge, rector at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, had a somewhat different take on the Easter story. He called it "the biggest bang."

"We have this notion of the Big Bang, the singularity from which everything came," Akridge said. "Easter is the equivalent, the inverse, in a spiritual sense of everything being reconnected. Everything came together and has been coming together ever since. ... It goes in all directions and fixes everything back to (the Garden of) Eden."

In effect, the resurrection was the death of death, Akridge explained. No more were life and death two different things, but those who sought salvation from Jesus were now granted one life that continued after the death of their physical body.

"It's not the final separator. Now, it's the doorway into our real lives," Akridge said. "It's really cool."

Easter is a single date on the calendar and observed as the end of the Lenten season, he said, but in practice, every Sunday is an Easter celebration. Without Easter, Christianity would be missing a central pillar of its belief system, and the best part at that, he continued.

Reducing it further, Easter is the free and eternal forgiveness offered by Jesus, which Christians are encouraged to spread throughout the world. It's the love between God the Father and God the Son, he continued, given to humans in the form of the Holy Spirit. It's a state of love over apathy.

"The church is at her best when she remembers that God does his best work through us when it seems like there's no hope," Akridge said. "This is a really good time now to remember Easter. I think it's the antidote to a cynical modern age. What would Easter look like in schools, on St. Simons Island, between husband and wife, in the U.S., across the world?"