The Easter Bunny.... what’s not to love? A human-sized rodent, dressed in his Sunday best, delivers candy and stuffed animals to children on Easter morning. Not only does he come bearing gifts, but this bunny happens to have an abundance of eggs that he likes to hide in yards and bushes and.....wait...... what?
Despite his unique behavior, the Easter bunny has become a beloved figure in the American home. But it’s not just the bunny—aisles filled with Easterish merchandise lure us in to thinking “this will make my child happy.” What was once a celebration of Christ’s resurrection has seemingly been taken over by baskets, bunnies, chocolates, and Peeps.
How do we handle this as Christians and as parents? Denounce the bunny and boycott everything about the holiday that isn’t biblical? Or just embrace it all and throw up our hands, “It’s a lost cause!”? How do we glorify God, yet embrace our culture? There will be a spectrum of approaches to this dilemma, but we should first be alert to the potential dangers of blindly accepting the secularization of Easter.
The danger of worshipping gods above our One True God
The danger of allowing stuff to distract us from meaningful meditation on Christ’s death and resurrection
The danger of succumbing to greed and turning the holiday into one of self-gratification
As parents, we must recognize these dangers and proactively guard our hearts and our children's’ hearts to keep Christ at the center. But...I also want to teach them how to interact with culture—how to enjoy good things like having a sense of adventure, imagination, and freedom. We can do both; it won’t always be easy and we won’t always get it right. Here are a few things to consider as we approach Easter.
1. PREPARE OUR HEARTS
The nature and degree of our Easter Sunday celebration is determined by our preparation and anticipation leading up to that day. Praying and/or fasting together as a family during the Lent season is a great way to help point our children's’ hearts towards Jesus. Another idea is to spend a few minutes each day during Holy Week reading Scripture and talking about what was happening during that day in the life of Jesus. You can find several simple reading plans on the You Version app.
2. BE AWARE
Be aware of the temptation to worship things other than God. Be aware of the temptation to spend a lot of money and time on things that ultimately don’t matter. You may even consider foregoing some of your usual Easter expenditures and instead give that money away.
3. HAVE FUN
Embrace the wonder and fun of the holiday through a child’s eye. Make memories, encourage imagination, and enjoy some of your favorite Easter treats (Cadbury eggs, anyone??). Take advantage of the opportunities to connect with family and friends. Come to Easter Family Fun Day!
4. SEE THE TRUE BEAUTY
The Easter flowers, dresses, and beautiful table arrangements can all be admired and appreciated. Their beauty, however, should point us to the true beauty of Easter—that our God in all His glory made himself nothing, sending His son Jesus into the world to serve, love, and die on the cross as a ransom for our sins. He defeated sin and death when he rose from the dead. And that is way more exciting than anything a bunny can do!
A great response to Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection is to deny ourselves, and maybe even our idea of a “perfect” holiday, so that we can truly celebrate Him—by following His example of and command to “love one another.”
Meet the Author!
Taylor is the wife of Council Road's Groups Pastor, Micah White, and mother to Navy and Foster. She works as a PA in Oklahoma City, and is also passionate about serving and edifying the local Church. She most enjoys time with her family, but can also be found reading, teaching, making music, hand-lettering, and hosting gatherings. She loves a friendly debate and a good laugh.