The Essence of Easter

This is always a special time to remember and celebrate Our Lord Jesus Christ’s victory over death.  It’s a time to reflect and grow in a deeper way with Christ.  It’s a time to allow Him to develop new ways to translate into our lives what He accomplished over 2,000 years ago.  I heard someone say once we should live as Christ died yesterday, rose from the dead today and is coming back tomorrow. 

When my children were young, I really wanted to impress upon them the importance of the resurrection story.  They had heard the story of the crucifixion and Christ rising from the dead enough times that they had started to tune it out.  Easter was becoming a time for hunting eggs, eating candy and visiting the relatives.  I didn’t want the main message of Easter to be lost in the midst of sweets and socializing. 

I decided they needed a new experience that they could relate to which would help them remember all that Christ had accomplished on our behalf.  I decided to demonstrate the events leading up to Easter in a story with a variety of props.  I hoped it would help them understand the Easter season in a deeper way.  My exuberance led me to craft a creative illustration where Christ could rise triumphantly from the dead in modern day.  I decided to act this out with, Emily, my oldest daughter’s dollhouse people.

I am sure my children watching their father transform the dollhouse family into Christ and his followers was somewhat questionable and probably not a great plan.  I read the crucifixion story to the children and made a small cross for my “Jesus.” My children were elementary school age at the time, so I assure you, this was a G-rated version of the event in case you were starting to wonder.

There was an old tree in our yard with a hollowed-out space at the base of the large roots.  I decided it would make a perfect tomb.  I wrapped the dollhouse father in tissue and placed him in it and stationed a large rock in front of the opening.  Then, we went in for the evening and I told the children to leave everything exactly as we had left it.

Early the next morning, I moved the rock and removed my dollhouse Jesus before the children woke up.  Later after breakfast, I told them we should go out and get the dollhouse figure before we left to visit our relatives for Easter brunch.  The kids ran outside with Emily in the lead, and as they approached the tree, they began to question why the rock was moved.  Emily reached for her dollhouse figure and suddenly turned with innocent bewilderment and exclaimed, “He’s gone!”  I will never forget her expression because it must have been similar to the way the disciples responded… with complete surprise and confusion.

I didn’t waste this teaching moment and used the opportunity to talk about Christ’s resurrection.  And, I did give Emily the dollhouse figure back when I was finished.  My prayer is that the lesson was not lost on these children and it somehow strengthened their faith formation.  Emily does remind me every year by saying, “Remember that time dad you crucified the father from my dollhouse?”  It has become a running joke that calls out my creative parenting skills for their amusement.  I am trusting they remember the true point of the story.