A friend and fellow blogger made a post I found really intriguing. You can read her thoughts here. She was talking about her joy in the hiding eggs... the "trappings" of Easter and Christmas... and she asked: "I'd honestly be interested in knowing if any of you guys have a problem with these sort of former-pagan observances."And so I left a comment.
Going back to see if others had commented yet, I was surprised how passionate my response was to her post. (And how long!). And that sent up a flag that said, "Hey, this may be important to you."
So I'm posting my response to her question on my blog, because it gives insight into me and hey, this is my blog. I can do what I want.
Jen is one of my regular reads. She is a good egg. (Even when she is hiding them.) You should go to her blog and chime in.
Question: "I'd honestly be interested in knowing if any of you guys have a problem with these sort of former-pagan observances."
My Answer:
I would leave a comment, but I'm too busy hiding eggs.
Maybe I'm too flippant here... I've been accused of that before... but I don't think the fact that I'm hiding eggs and having my 3-year-old daughter find them is all that big of a deal to God. I mean seriously... there are some big problems in this world. I'm guessing that is not one of them. It's not like we are chanting to the gods and goddesses while we are doing it. And we can't have any more kids, so the fertility thing isn't an issue anymore for Laura and me. :)
And once Lydia finds her eggs... and when she comes out of her chocolate coma... that night, I will hold her in my arms as I put her to bed...and I will lay my hands on her head as I do every night I tuck her in... and we will pray. She will list off all the people she is thankful for (it takes a while, so I bring an iced tea into the room) and then she will pray the Lord's prayer (which is the cutest thing and must make God smile)...
And I will pray that she will come to know God at an early age. That she would be a girl who is sensitive to the leading of the Spirit in her life... that she would have favor with people and be a champion of the outcast. I will pray that she loves God and loves people with all her heart, soul, mind and strength. Often in tears, I will thank God for this amazing, frustrating, tiring, exhilarating, holy thing that I hold in my arms.
Then, I will look her straight in the eye and tell her that I love her and that I'm so proud to be her daddy. I will tell her that there is nothing she could ever do that will make God love her less. And then I will put her in bed, kiss her goodnight...
And then Laura and I will find the rest of the eggs. :)
That is VERY long way of saying: I think -- in the church -- if we are not careful we can major on the minors. We can DO everything right: and have this great appearance of righteousness on the outside ["I don't sing, dance, cuss, I don't play cards, I don't enjoy Halloween (demons), Christmas (that damn Santa), or Easter (has been taken over my the Easter Bunny!)" -- and miss that there is this amazing God who longs to give us life. The Most Joyful Being in the Universe wants to have my daughter chuckle with glee and yell, "Daddy! I found one!"
And I'm just not sure that her looking for eggs or bitting the head off a chocolate bunny (why do we go for the ears first?) is going to ruin the work of God in her life. In fact, God might even use it.
But then again, what do I know. And I could very well be wrong.
3 comments:
paul--
did you know that colored easter eggs originated as a christian thing? during lent, christians couldn't eat eggs, so the children would color them and give them as gifts.
well-- this is what i learned on TV at the grocery while i was waiting in line. so you can decide if it is true. i mean, you are the pastor.
that is all.
-lindsay b.
hi Paul. former Athens kid here. what an awesome prayer for your little one.
My husband and I don't have children yet, but we've often wondered about this topic.
Do you tell your daughter that the eggs came from the Easter bunny?
Chocolate and finding surprises are both good things -- it's just the weird part about the mythical, magical creatures that bugs me. When I was little, I remember imagining Santa Claus and God on the same cloud in heaven. They both know whether you've been naughty or nice, after all.
It also seems messed up when you believe in the magic of the tooth fairy, easter bunny, etc, as a child and then one day you grow up and learn that they aren't real.
But I'm supposed to believe God is real?
in other words, WHY DO YOU LOVE LYING TO GOD's CHILDREN?!?! :) :)
Am I overreacting?
Hey I-jo
No... I don't think you are overreacting. I think those are good questions. Laura and I decided to tell Lydia from the beginning that there is no Santa or Easter Bunny. (This Christmas she was walking around saying, "Santa is not real. He's make believe." -- She is going to get sooo beat up.)
But, we don't make a big deal about it.
But our struggle was the same as yours... we didn't want to lie to her. "If Santa isn't real.. than... what about all those things you said about God?" I in NO WAY look down on parents who choose to do otherwise. I really don't think it's lying.. more of a game... but this is just where we landed on the issue.
With that said, I grew up believing in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy... and my favorite band through elementary and Jr High was KISS. And I'm a pastor. Eh... go figure.
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