Walking in the Valley A weekly column for those who live and walk in Silicon Valley by Barbara Dahlgren

He Is Risen! Column for the week of March 31-April 6, 2002

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Today millions of people put on their "Easter bonnet," (metaphorically speaking, of course) and headed for their annual church meeting to celebrate the risen Christ. I use the word "annual" because for many this is the only day of the year they make the effort to attend church. It's as if they believe that Christ died and was resurrected, that He is alive and well, but they only want to acknowledge it one day a year. One might say that to believe something is enough. I don't think so. Especially when it comes to spiritual matters. As the Bible says, even demons believe. (James 2:19) Yet, I will admit that believing is a start in the right direction.

Then another group stays away from church on this day because they feel it has a pagan origin. A scholarly debate over Easter's origin has been going on for millennia. For thousands of years both Christians and pagans have celebrated death and resurrection themes following the Spring Equinox. Some say the name Easter came from the German word "ostern" which means sunrise. Some think it refers to some ancient Northern European Saxon goddess of fertility. Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring, which was "eastre." Actually a pretty good case can be made for Christian and pagan explanations. But to shy away from something just because it has a pagan origin when that is no longer the intent or meaning of what is taking place can be quite limiting since many of our everyday customs can be traced back to paganism, including everything from wedding rings, to handshakes, to covering your mouth when you yawn. Even the word Sunday is derived from a pagan deity, as are the other days of the week.

Then yet another group stays home because they simply do not believe Jesus Christ existed. Or if they do believe he existed, they don't believe he died for our sins. Or if they do believe he lived and died, they don't believe he was resurrected. Many chose to believe this because intellectually speaking it isn't logical that it happened. Even Thomas, one of the disciples who lived with and followed Christ succumbed to this deceptive thought process. Where do you think the phrase "doubting Thomas" came from?

John 20:24-31 tells us that Thomas wasn't with the rest of the disciples when Jesus first showed himself to them after he was resurrected. He said, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." Eight days later Jesus came to the disciples again and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus did not rebuke Thomas but lovingly said, "Reach hither your finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believe." Thomas conceded that indeed this was the risen Jesus Christ, "My Lord and my God!" And Jesus said, "Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Some intellectuals say they won't believe anything they can't see. But relying on just what you see can be as deceiving as believing what you can't see. Have you never seen a master magician produce a live tiger before your very eyes? You don't know how he does it but there's the tiger, just the same. With spiritual matters you might think you have to see to believe but sometimes you have to believe then you can see. If you truly want to believe, you can ask God to help you just as one father did in Mark 9:24 who so wanted his child to be healed. "Lord, help my unbelief!" And guess what? Jesus did. He'll help your unbelief, too, if you ask him. Because He is alive, He is well, and He is risen!

©March 2002

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