It came up again this year, as it does most every year.
Some friends, who are young parents, explained to me that they don’t let their children celebrate Easter with Easter eggs, Easter baskets, and so forth.While I absolutely respect the right of parents to raise their children as they see fit, and respect their willingness to go “against the current” in their efforts to follow Jesus Christ and be godly parents, I think they’re missing out on a great opportunity to teach their children a basic truth of Christianity:redemption.
The rationale for not using these “pagan symbols” to celebrate the resurrection goes back to the belief that Easter is basically the Spring celebration of the Saxons to honor their fertility goddess, Eostre (sometimes spelled Estre), which [celebration] was hijacked by enthusiastic 2nd century Christian missionaries attempting to convert the Saxons.The Saxon feast included immorality and depravity of the worst kind, and employed the image of a rabbit, the goddess’ earthly representation.
The Christians’ celebration of the resurrection of Christ roughly coincided with the dates of the pagan festival, so the missionaries took the opportunity to ‘turn it around’ and merged the two into one spring celebration with the focus on Jesus’ resurrection – replacing the flagrantly immoral aspects, but leaving some of the pagan customs intact – including the exchange of eggs, an obvious symbol of fertility.
So, many Christians reason, to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection with Easter baskets, Easter eggs, etc. is to “taint” the remembrance of this landmark event with pagan symbolism and irreverence.But I respectfully choose to disagree.Just because eggs were used in the second century to honor a pagan “goddess”, that doesn’t mean the goddess gets exclusive rights to eggs as a celebratory symbol until the end of time – or exclusive rights to the rabbit, for that matter. The eggs were never really hers anyway.“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”, the apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:26, and in this exact cultural context.This imaginary goddess (who never really existed anyway) doesn’t get the eggs.The eggs are God’s.
I love that these missionaries hijacked a pagan festival and turned it into a celebration of the most important event in human history.To me that is just reclaiming territory for the Lord that is rightfully His.What is all this “fertility festival” stuff about anyway?It was people like us, trying to eke out a living from the land, calling on the “deity” they thought could help them most to produce crops to live on, and sons and daughters to work the land, in the way that they thought that deity would respond to.
That doesn’t make the immorality and idolatry okay, but it was, for the most part, honest misdirection of the same desires we have – to honor the Power that controls life and to invoke its blessing.And that’s why “turning it around” is so cool.It points the celebration in the direction it was intended to go all along.
Christianity is a faith based upon turning what was intended for evil into good.Pagan cultures didn’t choose idolatry on their own – they were led into it.There are, after all, powers at work in this world whose intention is to lead us away from the One True God.
In Genesis 50, after Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery, and his life had spiraled downward for many years, he was elevated to the highest position in Egypt next to the Pharaoh – saving thousands of people from famine.In verse 20, he says “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”That is an anthem for all of Christianity.God takes the evil intentions of powers of darkness and misdirected people, and turns them into something good.That very concept is at the heart of the biblical concept of redemption.A couple of the dictionary definitions of redemption (the act of redeeming) are: to offset the bad effect of; to make worthwhile.
There are few more gruesome or insidious torture and execution practices than those of the Roman Empire of the first century – 39 lashes with a Roman flagrum, a leather whip of three thongs with small bits of sharp metal along each strand; and crucifixion.There is nothing good about betrayal, injustice, undeserved punishment, or execution, in and of themselves.These are horrible things.Yet it was these very things that God used to bring about our redemption.The cross, a horrible means of torturous execution, has become something good – the means of our atonement, and the gateway to new life in Jesus.Christians see the cross as a symbol of something good, and we are instructed to “remember the Lord’s death until He comes.”God took torture and execution – intended for evil by men and the powers of darkness – and turned them into the greatest good possible.
Which brings us back to the eggs.What about the eggs?Is there any reasonable connection at all with the resurrection of Jesus Christ?I think that eggs present a great picture of the resurrection.The chick, at just the right time, bursts forth from the egg full of new life!What a great likeness of Jesus bursting forth from the grave!And certainly the whole season of springtime with its flowers, leaves, grass, and sunshine speaks of life and release from the “dead” of winter.So painting the eggs vibrant colors just adds to the meaning.
Easter eggs will always speak to me of resurrection power and the joy of new life.(I am also, by the way, a fan of fertility.)No, the “goddess” doesn’t get to keep the eggs.The eggs are God’s.Just like we are.
Just one tip, though, if you celebrate with a true Easter egg hunt (with real eggs).
Make sure that ALL the eggs get found.
Happy Resurrection!!
It is really, really unusual these days to find a company that actually delivers on what it promises in its advertising.
Just writing those words makes me really sad.
Advertising today – whether print, TV, radio, whatever – is intentionally crafted to make you think that a given product or service is better, cheaper, bigger, or more beneficial than it really is.Time after time the delicious-looking meal on my TV screen bears no resemblance whatsoever to what they actually serve me.The time-and-labor saving device – based on a really good idea – turns out to be just a piece of junk.The movie that looked so good in the trailer turns out to be a clunker – they showed us all the really good parts in the trailer!
Most of the time, it’s not about making you aware of a truly high quality item.It’s about trapping you into buying a sub-standard item by making it seem better than it is.This kind of logic completely escapes me.Why would anyone think I would become a loyal customer if I’m tricked into buying junk?
I’m realizing how much a lifetime (or at least a few decades) of this kind of disappointment has lowered my expectations.These days, when I see a product or service advertised, I expect to be disappointed.There’s a word for that.Cynicism.Misleading advertising is turning (has turned?) me into a cynic.I don’t like that.
It is absolutely ethically reasonable that I ought to be able to expect that a product or service should perform as advertised.No less.There are laws about that.There are even organizations based on that (Better Business Bureau, consumer protection organizations – both governmental and independent, etc.).
So the burger at the restaurant ought to look as good as the burger I see on TV, and taste as good as it looks.Sometimes it does.There are some restaurants here in Nashville where the food is always good.Some chains even.Chili’s, Logan’s Roadhouse, TGI Friday’s, Five Guys Burgers and Fries to name a few.
But it seems to me that a company with a product, a service, an entertainment experience that consistently over-delivers stands out like a neon sign in today’s landscape of lousy-to-adequate.A company that doesn’t simply meet, but constantly exceeds my expectations can expect to have me for a lifelong customer.When a product or service even meets my expectations, I am a happy camper.And I’m also pleasantly surprised.
But at those rare and magical moments when I encounter a product or service that goes far beyond my expectations, I’m completely blown away!(Seth Godin writes a lot about this. Great blog.)And I think that those companies who consistently over-deliver deserve to be written about.And so do those companies who consistently disappoint.
So here are the companies and people who consistently exceed my expectations.Most, but not all, are restaurants.(Cause I like to eat.)
Rafferty’s.A chain of about 20 restaurants covering six states in the mid-to-south eastern US.The food, the service, the value is absolutely stellar.Definitely a cut above your average “brass-n-fern” restaurant and also a little pricier – but worth every penny (“brass-n-fern” is my boss’s blanket term for Chili’s, Applebee’s, Friday’s, Ruby Tuesday – that kind of restaurant; I like it).
Hot Wok.A tiny little hole-in-the-wall Thai fast food joint in Franklin, Tennessee (20 miles south of Nashville).Unique recipes—all great.For UNDER $5.00 you get your choice of generous portions of three items (entrees included) plus soup or an eggroll.My FAVORITE food at a restaurant.They could charge twice this price for the same food, and I wouldn’t bat an eye.
Bruster’s.(Pronounced broo-sters)A small chain of walk-up hand-made hand-dipped ice cream stores in the Southeast, open seasonally.A one-scoop cone is a softball-sized scoop of the best ice cream you ever put in your mouth, in your choice of that day’s 30 or so flavors.The scoopers run around to serve you as quickly as possible, but in the heat of summer I have been to a Bruster’s that had six customer windows open, and even with six lines and scoopers running around like Roadrunner, still had to wait up to 30 minutes.Still worth it.Unbelievable.Sorry, Graeter’s.
Amazon.com. Pretty much anything I’m looking for, usually at one of the best prices on the Internet, free shipping (if I order enough), fast delivery, and very accommodating about handling returns.They absolutely have retail figured out.It couldn’t be simpler.
Costco.From the high quality on everything from goods to clothes to meat to produce, to the great prices, to the selection, to the ease of returning or exchanging.Even the little food court is great.Great store, great experience.I’m always amazed.Thanks to my boss for the membership.
Tommy Emmanuel in concert.Tommy may be the world’s best guitar player.If he comes your way, don’t miss him.I’ve never seen an entertainer work harder, be more listenable, connect with the audience better, play more flawlessly or appealingly, and/or enjoy himself more.In short, this is a great experience.I saw him a year ago.Tickets were $25.Rosie and I came out of a nearly 3-hour concert thinking we probably couldn’t hold any more music that night.J
Brian Regan (comedian).The gold standard in stand-up comedy.Proof that you don’t have to be nasty to be hilarious.Brian makes me laugh so hard I can’t stop.Sometimes triggers asthma.Worth it.Fresh, timely, intelligent, really, really funny.
McKay (used books and CDs).Media recycling done right.Stores in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, TN.A media superstore, but all used (meaning not purchased from wholesaler – some is still shrink-wrapped) – books, CDs, DVDs, VHS, books on CD, vinyl, etc. – all departmentalized and organized.I take books, DVDs, and CDs I’m no longer using to McKay.They look through them.They’ll give me a certain amount in cash, or they’ll give me way more in store credit.I take the credit.I wasn’t using the stuff anyway, right?Now I have their proprietary currency to purchase their well-below-discount-priced stock.And super-nice, super-helpful people.
Baja Burrito.An local independent Nashville burrito place – here before Moe’s and Qdoba, and they’re still the best.Mission-style burritos made with grilled chicken or steak, or fried fish, and your choice of fresh ingredients on your choice of tortilla.Or taco salad.Or fish tacos.It’s worth the trouble you’ll have finding a parking spot and the line you’ll have to stand in just to get in the door.
Maggiano’s Little Italy.A nationwide chain of upscale but homey Italian eateries with exceptional Italian food served family-style (big plates or bowls of food from which you select some of each).Bring your appetite and your family (but feed your wallet first).
Williamson County Medical Center.Located in Franklin, Tennessee, this is the hospital you want to be close to if you need to go to the emergency room.They actual treat you like a person, and they act like dealing with your problem – not securing your payment – is the most important thing.
Trader Joe’s.A grocery store chain that started on the West Coast, specializing in healthy fare with its own uniquely quirky variety of great stuff in every department.And great value.Almost all their products are the store brand – and they’re amazing!The Triple Ginger Snaps are highly addicting.
Netflix.DVD movie rental system. Elegant, elegant, elegant. Largest selection available, you ”train” it over time to the kinds of movies you prefer, super-fast turnaround, easy replacement of defective discs, some movies “streamed” with no commercials, very affordable. There’s everything to like about this and nothing not to. Perfect.
Now for the other side of the coin.There are some businesses that consistently disappoint.Constantly over-promise and under-deliver.Companies whose products and services are dependably dissatisfying.Here are a few of my candidates:
Captain D’s.A nationwide seafood chain in 23 states.The food looks great on TV, and sometimes great on your plate.But it is consistently disappointing. Quality of product has consistently diminished over the years (it used to be quite good). Long wait till my order is ready, and even then the side items tend to be cold. Bad after effects (that’s all I’m going to say about that…).
Haband.An online clothing retailer offering sub-par quality garments at “bargain” prices.Unfortunately, because they almost always have “big men’s” sizes, I have sometimes been lured to purchase.But I’ve never been happy with anything but the socks.
Redbox. DVD movie vending machine system. A great idea, but not ready for prime time. $1 a day sounds great, right? Two significant flaws: 1) you can’t tell machines that the video is defective, and 2) the machines are unreliable. There are three or four machines in my area, and they are down almost as much as they are up. About a third of the discs I’ve rented there have divots or scratches significant enough to be a show-stopper (literally). And about half the time, when I go to return a disc, the machine is “hung” and cannot receive it. It’s always at least another day before it’s fixed, and I get charged for the extra day. Consistently disappointing and annoying.
What about you?What companies consistently exceed your expectations?Which consistently disappoint?I’d love to hear about them. Where did you strike gold?
It’s the 4th of July, and I’m thinking today about our freedom and what it cost and costs. A few weeks ago, my friend and coworker, Tony Bierman, posted a poignant reminder on Facebook. He has allowed me to repost it here.
“Twenty years ago this week, I was serving as a low-ranking airman in the US Air Force. I was stationed in a top secret communications center at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, Japan. My job was to translate and route classified incoming message traffic. I was one of the lowest-ranking members of the team, so it fell to me to work the overnight shift. That’s when the news from China started rolling in.
On June 3rd and 4th of 1989, my nightly rote and mundane existence was interrupted as messages began coming in from China. Along with CNN news reports, the message I handled spoke of students assembly in the central square of Beijing, and of the Chinese military surrounding them, trapping them in the square. In the day time while I was off duty, I would watch the reports from CNN, waiting for the news agency to tell the world what I was learning through our classified communications.
But the public cable news reports never aligned with the truth. The number of dead and and dying were under reported, and the atrocities largely ignored. I began to sicken as I realized that not only would the Chinese government hide the truth, but that my own country was not admitting all that we knew. Over the course of that week in 1989, I promised myself I would never work for any government ever again, and that I would rather be lied to along with the masses than know secret, ugly truths.
While the news reports claimed hundreds dead, I knew it was really thousands murdered in cold blood. Thousands of young men and women from my own generation that would never graduate college, build families and careers, or grow old with their loved ones. And though I knew none of them, the young men and women who died in Tiananmen Square affected my life dramatically. They opened my eyes, encouraged my voice, and taught me to appreciate the rights and freedoms I enjoy even today. Those young men and women are the Thomas Jeffersons and John Hancocks of my generation. We know some of their names, but most we do not. Some were imprisoned, and some were exiled. But far too many more died in the streets twenty years ago so that the world can remember just how important and expensive freedom is.”
Thanks, Tony, for reminding us ALL just how important and expensive freedom is. I hope everyone enjoys the 4th of July festivities today, and I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on the cost of our freedom, and to pray for those who are even now in harm’s way defending freedom.
As the beautiful golds and reds of Autumn paint the Tennessee landscape, and the chilly winds begin to blow, I am taking a moment to reflect on the events of the past month. October was a rough month emotionally for so many that I know and love — and for me and Rosie as well. Within a week of each other, both Deb Smith and Mary Lafleur passed on — their absence felt keenly and deeply by all who knew them. And yet, we were all so relieved that the pain and suffering of their cancer had been lifted, and so thankful that they had passed from the dark and uncertain days of suffering and sadness into the resplendent light of the One they had so faithfully served, in whose presence is fullness of joy, and in whose right hand are pleasures forevermore.
I think most of us hope that our lives will make a difference — that when we reach the end of our days, we can look back and see a trail of people whose lives have been blessed and enhanced because of our influence and example. That the world will be better for our having been here. That we can leave behind the sweet aroma of a life well-lived — a life finished well.
My desire is that it might be said of me as it was said of King David in Acts 13:36: “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers…” I was here, I fulfilled God’s purpose for my life, and then I went home to be with Him for all eternity. A life lived well. A life finished well.
That’s the kind of life that both Deb Smith and Mary Lafleur lived. That is their legacy. I cannot say for certain that each of them had fulfilled all that God had for them in this life. Nobody can. But they made great use of the time they had, and they impacted hundreds of people. Deb as a pastor, a worshipper, an artist, a mentor, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. Mary as a writer, a mentor, a singer, a lover of children, a wife, and a mother. You can see the fruit of the seeds that they planted in the lives of their children and grandchildren, and in their ministries and artistry.
I have spoken of Deb Smith in a previous post, and the Loving Deb Smith blog site contains numerous comments testifying to her accomplishments and her character. If you haven’t read them, you need to. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mary Lafleur, she was a writer of poetry and songs, mostly for children. Her work won numerous awards and was published in very prestigious publications over the years. Her “Pink Elephants” series of children’s music and poetry on CD is wonderfully imaginative and challenging to a child’s growing mind — whimsical and fun. You can learn about her music from her website, http://marylafleur.com. When Mary found out that she had only a few weeks left, do you know what she did? She traveled from her home in Lexington, Kentucky to Nashville, Tennessee, where she had raised her family. She wanted to see all of her good friends one more time, and to record two new songs she had written. Some of that time, she was so sick she couldn’t get up from the couch, but she pressed on cheerfully and determinedly, and she did just exactly as she had planned. Those two songs are brilliant, and a lasting testimony of someone in love with life and determined to squeeze every last drop out of it.
My wife Rosie (Mary’s best friend) and I attended both memorial services/life celebrations this past month. Both in the services themselves, and in the conversations among friends and family that followed, one person after another spoke of the impact that Deb and Mary had had on their lives — of the inspiration and encouragement their lives had been. In Nashville, TN, Cincinnati, OH, Lexington, KY, and Mt. Vernon, IL, they have left a trail of people whose lives have been blessed and enhanced because of their example and influence. Theirs were lives that made a difference. They were lives well-lived.
It was 1971. I was living back at home, for the time being. I got a call from someone named “Tom Smith” who claimed to be a “campus minister” at the University of Cincinnati. He claimed to be a friend of Gary Sweeten. Said he had a “campus house” near the university and wanted to find a core of committed college-age brothers to live there and minister. At first I thought he was joking. “Tom Smith”? Come on. You can do better than that. Who is this really?
But I called my friend (since 5th grade) Poody (Don Patten) and told him about it. We prayed about it, and decided to move in together. For both of us, the effects of that decision were life-changing. Tom baptized me in a swimming pool in French Lick, Indiana. Under Tom’s mentoring and influence, I came to have a ministry. And Poody came to have a wife. It doesn’t get more life-changing than that!
Tom met and married a sweet sister named Deb, and their ministry has effected the lives of countless people, young and old, throughout the US and the world. They both have impacted me deeply.
It has been many years (way too many) since I saw Tom and Deb. They have raised three children who are now raising their grandchildren. Tom has returned to his farming roots, and they live in rural Illinois.
Just a few weeks ago, Deb was diagnosed with cancer — lung cancer, bone cancer, lymphatic cancer, — already very advanced. It is even in the retina of one of her eyes. The shock, the pain and sickness, the strain on their finances, and the impact on their family has been severe. Tom works two jobs, tries to find time to spend with Deb and the family, and to “keep the ship afloat”. Deb tries to deal with the pain, and to maintain hope in the God she has served so faithfully for many decades. Their children and siblings are also working tirelessly on their behalf.
The Smiths need our prayers, our financial assistance, and our encouragement. Friends of the Smiths have created a blog designed to facilitate all three — Loving Deb Smith. Whether you know them or not, would you take a few minutes to pray for them, to visit the blog, and, if the Lord leads, to assist in any way you feel able?
I am praying that the Spirit of Life, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, will give life to Deb’s mortal body through his Spirit who lives in her (Romans 8:11). I am praying that that dark and evil cancer will wither and fade away in the blazing light of the presence of His Spirit in her. I am praying for total freedom from pain and discomfort for her, and complete restoration of health. There is nothing too hard for Him!
As I pray for Deb, I am also praying the same thing for two other friends, both of whom are also battling cancer — Mary Lafleur and Dave Perkins. Please join me in praying for these precious folks.
When we lived in Bunker, Missouri (population 450 — sa-lute!), my buddy and next door neighbor Steve Stewart would come over, sit in my living room, and say, “Rando,…tell me a story!”.
Stories. We all have them. They’re what make each of our lives unique. Our individual experiences. The little anecdotes that may seem totally insignificant to us, but are snapshots of who we are and how we are. For most of us, these stories stay locked up. We think maybe someday it would be good to write them down, for our children and grandchildren if for no one else. But we don’t take the time. We think it would be good to tell them to our kids. But work, television, life, a constant blur of busy-ness, seem to keep us from finding that opportune moment. And our stories go untold.
I like what Sue Monk Kidd says in her wonderful book, The Secret Life of Bees.
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”
My youngest son, Jonathan, loves to hear my stories. That has inspired me to remember more, and to take the time to sit with him more and tell them. It has deepened both our lives.
I have determined to take the time to tell and to write my stories. If only to remember.
What about you? Who needs to be hearing your stories?
So many families are struggling financially right now. Lost jobs, house foreclosures, etc. Please pray that God will come through for them. Why not take a minute right now? Thanks!
