Easter’s Long Shadow

“Hail, glad festival day! Blest day to be hallowed for ever, day wherein Christ arose, breaking the kingdom of death.”[i]

I have to remind myself that Easter is not just a day, but an entire season. We are at the beginning of this joyful fifty-day season we call Eastertide. N.T. Wright has reflected on the disparity between the magnitude of Easter and our willingness to move on from it by the next day. Instead of closing the church for a few days after Easter Sunday, Wright suggests that churches host activities throughout the week to continue the celebration. The importance we place on Holy Week should be matched by the days that follow Easter Sunday. The joy of Easter cannot be contained in a singular day.

Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash

I love this vision of the church continuing the season's festive nature. It is what we should do, but I think most of us who have participated in the fullness of Holy Week are downright exhausted. Easter Sunday is the pinnacle of everything Holy Week has built up to, and then it’s time for a nap. Rest is biblical after all. In that rest, we can reflect on everything we experienced, and give thanks for everyone who took part in the Holy Week journey with us. We need some time to catch our breath.

Though we may not host an Easter carnival this week, maybe there are a few ways that you can keep the celebration going in your own life. How might this week—and this season—be marked by a deep sense of joy and celebration? Individuals and families can find creative ways to keep the character of Eastertide top of mind, and maybe it’s as simple (and as silly) as yelling out “Alleluia” around the house. Whatever it is, I’d be curious what you end up doing, so please let me know.

Therefore, let us keep the feast. Alleluia!

[i] Hail Thee, Festival Day by Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus. The Hymnal 1982 #175.