Close to my heart

It has been a while since my last post, too long, in fact. I have had much going on in my life, and politically, I have been trying to catch my breath with what's been going on.

I will not use this post to rant, or to disagree with any new policies or decisions. I think my past blogs will attest to my feelings regarding them.

Instead, I will take the time to reflect on Easter, and commercialism aside, the real meaning of it.

Yes, I like to dress my three adorable daughters in "easter dresses". As a child, I was always excited about a new dress for Easter Sunday. And yes, again, I do fill my children's Easter baskets. Instead of bunnies, though, I buy them chocolate crosses. I feel a little silly doing it, but I feel like I am insulting my conscience otherwise. I know, I know. It's just chocolate. I'm a little neurotic sometimes (no snickering, please. I know it's more than a little).

But Easter is not about pink bunnies, cute chickies, and chocolate.

It's about a murder. And it's about a victory. THE victory, actually.

Whether you believe Jesus was just a man or not, his unjust torture and subsequent murder on an implement of cruelty is not disputable. It's a historical fact.

Christ came to this earth to bring a message of peace and hope. All you have to do is look around, and see the sadness, the stomach-turning cruelty in this world, to see that we need something, Someone. And that Someone overcame death so that we would not have to be afraid of it.

The Gospel message is one of hope, love and most importantly, reconciliation. I believe that man is inherently evil, and left to our devices, would continue to be. There is nothing redeemable about humankind outside of Christ.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying there are no good people on this earth. What I am saying is, outside of Christ and His morality, there would be no good. Even if you deny Christ and His principles, the very fact that I can be prosecuted for murdering you, stealing your money, or even just beating you, is because of Christ. Any morality on this earth can be traced back to Biblical teachings. Don't look to the Romans, they tortured and killed on a regular basis. The Greeks? Nope, not there either. They believed it was okay for grown men to have young boys as their homosexual lovers.

We could go on and on. Before Jesus came on the scene, women were a commodity to be owned and abused. Feminism would have us believe that Christianity enslaves women. Jesus said in Him "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) That doesn't sound like discrimination to me. Women were revered, free to choose, and given responsibilities.

All of this came about because a little baby, FULLY GOD, and FULLY HUMAN, came to die for you and me.

Why did He have to die? Because of our sin, we are separated from God. Christ's death makes it possible for me to be reconciled to God.

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:9-11

See also I Corinthians 15:3-8

And His death was not the only part of it. He rose again, three days later. He was alive. He conquered death.

Because of my relationship with Christ, I have hope in this life. I know that I don't have to be a slave to my sins and sinful desires.

Thank you, Jesus.