TO die is to live! We are always shocked when in the middle of our surroundings, somebody passes away. Our usual questions are: Why die so young? Why he or she? Why now? Natural reactions, indeed!
When old people die, some relatives or friends would say: It’s good for him or her. He/she has played his/her role in life and on earth already!. When long-suffering patients pass away, relatives and friends would say: It’s better. They will not suffer any longer!
When Jesus finally gave up His spirit on the cross after three hours of bitter agony, the Pharisees said: “Finally, that impostor is gone! He deserved to die that kind of death!” But for Jesus, dying was not the end of everything. It was the beginning of a new life. For three days after His burial, He rose from His grave on that bright Easter Sunday morning,
Yes, resurrection means life. Symbolically, we see the Easter Resurrection of our Lord depicted in various ways, which always point to life after death. Especially in parts of the world, where deep winter lets all plants and trees “sleep” for a couple of months, people enjoy the spirit of the new shoots coming out of a big trunk of a tree.
They enjoy the seedlings that protrude from the ground in spring, the violet, red, and yellow little flowers emerging from the soil; the new leaves sprouting from the seemingly dead branches and the well-known Easter egg, out of which a new life germinates.
Eggs were usually symbols used in springtime long before Christianity came into existence. The egg symbolizes life, which is causing it to grow. Since Easter usually occurs at springtime (March, April, which should already be summer season in the Philippines), this egg-symbol was still in use among the pagans of early times when Christians were celebrating Easter.
The Church allowed converted pagans to retain the custom of egg during spring to symbolize germination of life, but not anymore to Ishtar, the goddess of Spring.
Austen H. Layard explained in his book “Nineveh and Babylon II, page 629”, that the term “Easter” came from goddess Ishtar, because of digging out monuments, carrying Ishtar’s name, of him in Nineveh. But, this egg should symbolize the new life, won for humanity by the resurrection of Christ.
Death, resurrection and eggs. Imprisonment, humiliations, carrying the cross, crucifixion, death on Good Friday, rising from the tomb, glorious, never to suffer and die again: I wish you, my dear readers, a blessed and Happy Easter! And: enjoy your egg hunting with your beloved family!
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