Easter

Easter is right around the corner. Frilly dresses are in readiness for little girls. Bunnies are putting their last-minute touches on colored eggs.

For church musicians, it’s “crunch time.” Holy Thursday is today and there’ll be lots of Very Significant music to perform. There’ll be even more of it on Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday. 

In many Protestant churches, Holy Thursday is referred to as “Maundy Thursday” (“Maundy” from the Latin mandatum; Christ’s mandate to wash the feet of others.)

A long-time friend of mine once thought I was saying Monday-Thursday, so the name stuck. Subsequently, Good Friday is now Tuesday-Friday.

As a Christian, I just don’t respond much to the whole idea of a resurrection, though. The concept of Jesus coming back to life three days after the crucifixion just seems too far-fetched.  Gods and messiahs in ancient history always came back to life. A resurrection is almost a theological cliché. It’s much too easy.

Give me a god-figure who experienced pain, doubt and affliction like we do – Now, that is a god I can worship. That is a god I can embrace. That is a God for whom I’ll join a monastery and learn Latin.

My favorite philosopher, Simone Weil, once said that “If the gospel omitted all mention of Christ’s resurrection, faith would be easier for me.”

Provocative statements such as that are why she’s my favorite philosopher; that, and she’s freaking brilliant.  

So, the crucifixion, for me, is enough. The resurrection, superfluous.

I could stop after Tuesday-Friday.