Easter Deconstructed
Celebrating growth and life
I have been thinking about Jesus rising. Since I’ve deconstructed my Christian faith, does that story still have meaning? The Easter Bunny stopped having meaning for me as a young child, but I still enjoy the story and the myth. Why not the same for Jesus?
I may no longer believe in the myths of hell, sin, damnation, and salvation in the literal ways taught by churches. I may not believe God sits on a throne like a hanging judge hoping to cast me down but forced reluctantly to admit me to heaven because of a golden ticket from Jesus. Nevertheless, much of what Jesus represents still brings hope, still holds an important place in my life. In fact, on reflection, I find profound meaning in the story of his life, death, and rising.
Jesus symobolizes the connection we all have with our deepest inner calling when we search for meaning and direction in life. Jesus lived his life and gave his life to remain true to what he believed, and he died with firm faith in his role in the universe, his connection to the divine, his fulfillment of his ultimate purpose.
Regardless of our particular beliefs about divinity, we can follow his example by discovering, following, and remaining true to our own special callings. Doing what we're given to do, what we love to do, has meaning — whether it's the big things like our social roles as partners, parents, family, or friends, or the work we do to feed ourselves and others. Each of us can also find fulfillment in the little things we do, which are just as important in expressing our uniqueness to the world. For me, it's connecting with loved ones; enjoying reading and writing; being fascinated by the New Deal, World War II, and the progressivism of the 1960s; social justice politics; hiking in and relating to nature; appreciating beauty in film and art; playing guitar and loving music of all kinds; and sharing the beauty I see in the world through photography.
In these things I strive to be true to my inner callings and gifts and to creatively seek new ones to live to the fullest. Isn't that what Jesus said he was all about? He came that we "might have life, and have it more abundantly,” living a rich and flourishing existence.
Additionally, Jesus’s rising symbolizes our triumph over the many wounds, injuries, and struggles we experience in this lifetime. If we continue to work on ourselves, to become the best version of us that we can be, we die to our wounded parts, and we rise above our injuries. We acknowledge and accept but also release and bury those parts that held us back. We rise up from losses to new growth. We awaken to the new self-expressions our souls call us to. Life viewed in this way is a constant dying to what has not worked for us, to what we were in the past, and a rising to greater wholeness.
If we live always looking for the next opportunity to express ourselves uniquely and creatively, we can come to the end of a season or of life as Jesus did, knowing we have been true to ourselves. We can feel satisfied that we have made our own small but special contributions to the world. If we do believe in divinity and the soul, we may even recognize our own rising someday will be like that of Jesus, and we can look forward to the next adventure our soul will take.
That's all worth celebrating and rejoicing over, no matter how we view the story of Jesus taught by the churches. So not only do we celebrate the rising of a great soul on Easter, we also celebrate the rising of our own souls. We celebrate our own small but deeply meaningful expression of life and growth in this universe.
