My granddaughter (aged 4) tells me tomorrow (Easter Sunday) is the day the Easter Bunny arrives. My son tells me this information has come via her nursery. She is excited by the prospect, not least, no doubt, because the ‘Easter Bunny’ will be leaving lots of chocolate!
There’s nothing wrong with such excitement and the sense of fun and joy that this expectation brings. My only ‘but’ is to say that when she told me this information I told her that Easter Sunday is also the day we remember that Jesus rose from the dead.
I have pondered this. It is not the role of the nursery to tell my granddaughter about Jesus; it is my responsibility. St Paul reminds us “And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? (Romans 10.14).
Today there is an ambivalence about speaking about Jesus. This is nothing new. The women who visited the empty tomb left it afraid and unable to speak about what they had experienced: “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” (Mark 16.8) It’s a good thing they did have a change of heart and spoke of what they saw!
Easter is a time of great joy for all of us who count ourselves as followers of Jesus. It is our job, because Jesus commanded it, to speak up for him. If we don’t do it no one else will! Its no one else’s responsibility.