Editorial Board | Echo
The resurrection is the most important event in history. The truth of the resurrection has brought joy, hope and peace to believers all over the world, and is the overarching theme of all Christian belief.
As the focal point of the Christian tradition, Easter is revered as one of the most joyous days in the American calendar year. However, the resurrection is more than just a day. It is a lifestyle.
With this in mind, one has to ask: should Easter be celebrated as a single day? Or should it be recognized consistently throughout the year?
In short ― both.
As Christians, we recognize what is commonly known as Holy Week, the week leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. Starting with Palm Sunday, it is common for churches to walk through the progression of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem. Within five days, the people of Jerusalem had all but completely turned against Jesus and demanded that he be crucified. This, of course, is known as Good Friday.
As a university that follows in these Christian beliefs, Taylor should be accepting of this view of Holy Week, and thus, should recognize Easter as a day, not simply as a "lifestyle."
1 Corinthians 15:3-5 states, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve."
Scripture is clear to point out that Jesus was raised to life on the third day after his crucifixion. It seems beneficial to recognize the importance of this third day as just that: a day.
May Young, assistant professor of Biblical studies at Taylor, weighed in on the subject of the Easter celebration.
"I don't think they should be mutually exclusive," Young said. "Living a lifestyle that recognizes the significance of the cross and resurrection of our Lord is definitely very important. However, designating a particular day/season for remembering Christ's death and resurrection gives us an opportunity to be more deliberate."
Just because Easter is a day does not mean that Easter can not also be celebrated as a lifestyle. A single day of celebration is essential because it focuses the Christian mind on that specific time of the year.
Easter as a single day also has various effects on the community of believers. The church as a whole is able to focus their worship towards that one day, and Holy Week as a whole.
"This designated time also helps us to commemorate what Jesus has done together in community," Young said. "Living a lifestyle doesn't provide the communal reflection that we have when we celebrate it collectively. A designated holiday also provides an avenue for sharing with those who are non-Christians about the significance of Christ and his work for our Christian faith."
So how do we keep the Easter spirit throughout the entirety of the year?
Nicole Weider, author of the Project Inspired blog, states that one must study the resurrection year round, so as to keep the day of the resurrection as an eternal hope.
"Most of us don't think about death or heaven on a daily basis!" Weirder said. "A practice of remembering the resurrection creates the same sense of joy and gratitude we celebrate on the Easter holiday."
Emphasizing Easter on a single day is a communal and individual tool. It must be appreciated as a single day so that it can then be recognized as a lifelong hope.
