Easter Sunday came and went with little fanfare (relative to Good Friday). There was, thankfully, a small processional celebrating the resurection but it paled in comparison to the numersous processionals throughout the preceeding week bemoaning the "pending" crucifiction. Several of us found it sad: the emphasis the church (or possibly culture, you deside) places on the suffering and pain of the atonement, rather than the glorious realities that followed thereafter - you know: the "Good News" of the gospel (which reminds me of a
talk by
Gordon B. Hinckley on the matter of symbols of faith).
Anyhow, the "Happy Procession" (as we decided to call it) had upbeat music (as well as a hymn I recognized), clapping and shouts a Hallelujah accompanied by a general feeling of excitement. All the previous processionals were accompanied by dreary music and a feeling more in leage with
somber than with
reverent. Yes, Christ suffered, and that ought not be forgotten, but it seems that the happy side of christianity gets lost in all the sadness.
Unfortunately, most of the people were tired-out from all the other
festivities of the week that there were few people out to celebrate the resurection. People kept asking me throughout the week if I celebrated Good Friday or Lent for that matter, and I felt odd saying that Easter was a one-day holiday for me and many of my faith (and other faiths in the US). Now, looking back though, I'm okay with that.
Easter Sunday came and went with little fanfare (relative to Good Friday). There was, thankfully, a small processional celebrating the resurection but it paled in comparison to the numersous processionals throughout the preceeding week bemoaning the "pending" crucifiction. Several of us found it sad: the emphasis the church (or possibly culture, you deside) places on the suffering and pain of the atonement, rather than the glorious realities that followed thereafter - you know: the "Good News" of the gospel (which reminds me of a talk by Gordon B. Hinckley on the matter of symbols of faith).
Anyhow, the "Happy Procession" (as we decided to call it) had upbeat music (as well as a hymn I recognized), clapping and shouts a Hallelujah accompanied by a general feeling of excitement. All the previous processionals were accompanied by dreary music and a feeling more in leage with somber than with reverent. Yes, Christ suffered, and that ought not be forgotten, but it seems that the happy side of christianity gets lost in all the sadness.
Unfortunately, most of the people were tired-out from all the other festivities of the week that there were few people out to celebrate the resurection. People kept asking me throughout the week if I celebrated Good Friday or Lent for that matter, and I felt odd saying that Easter was a one-day holiday for me and many of my faith (and other faiths in the US). Now, looking back though, I'm okay with that.
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