EASTER

I know that not everyone observes Easter, but if you live in the United States you can't escape the riotous explosion of bunnies, chocolate, and colorful eggs.  If you are an observant Christian, you know that these have as little to do with the story of Easter as flying reindeer have to do with the story of Christmas.

The story of Easter is this:  Jesus died for the sins of humankind, was buried in a tomb, and rose again.  No rabbits involved.  So where do the eggs come in?  We find a clue in the date for Easter.  In the original Bible story, the events celebrated today took place in the context of Passover, a time that commemorates the liberation of the Hebrew people from slavery.  The Easter holiday, though, has been unlinked from this event and is now held on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.  In other words, it has become a rite of Spring.  Rites of Spring are invariably about fertility--hence the egg.

What does this have to do with cancer?  Whether we are talking about Passover, or Easter, or rites of Spring, the underlying theme is the same:  hope against all odds.  The story of Passover is about a people living under a powerful and cruel regime, yet suddenly finding themselves liberated, emancipated, free.  The story of Easter is about the triumph of life over death, of good over evil.  And rites of Spring were an affirmation that out of the cold, dark, winter-barren soil could suddenly spring new crops to sustain life for another year.

Hope is essential to life--and to life with cancer.  Some express hope by fighting this disease as they have never fought before.  Some express hope through prayer and worship.  Some find hope in preparing for the worst, yet working for the best.  Some find hope in knowing that death is, ultimately, part of life, and that if, having fought the good fight, that is what awaits, then so be it.

Some people believe that hope changes things.  Makes the drugs work better.  Kicks the immune system into high gear.  Brings down divine help on the soft, loving wings of angels.  And that may be so.  Regardless, this much I do know to be absolutely true:  whether or not hope changes your circumstances, hope always changes you.  And maybe, just maybe, that's enough.

Happy Easter

Tim