Happy Easter week! The resurrection of Jesus is not a ‘one day’ celebration for Christians. The fact that Jesus died and rose from His death is the foundation of all Christian church beliefs. Walk in any Christian church and you will hear about God conquering death, and using Jesus to show us how to live, how to die, and how to look forward to ‘more.’ It is God’s promise of eternal life beyond this one we have here on earth. It’s the hope for ‘more’ given to us by His love for us. We won’t know the details until it’s our time, and the details might be different for each of us. We just don’t know. But, regardless Easter brings us hope, and is God’s gift to us – through grace. It’s not to be celebrated on just one day. We Christians live an Easter life every day. And with it comes responsibility to care for others and their needs.
Saying that, I want to pass along some interesting discussion I have been a part of on-line. We live in a really sad world with lots and lots of sins, big and small. Right now we watch what is happening to the Ukrainians and it is truly too much to take. Half a world away we see the live videos on the news and we feel hopeless, unable to stop Putin, the mad man from Russia. So much loss of life and destruction caused by a deranged man, whose actions show he has no soul, and does not feel for the hurt, and for the pains he has caused to humanity. Maybe in a sick way Putin even enjoys what he is doing.
Then here at home we have other wars going on. Here’s the discussion that I have been a part of – with some disagreements. The conservative topics of late, their bullhorn rhetoric, is the use of words about gay relationships and sexual identity around elementary aged children – and the ‘need’ to ban books from school curriculums. All of a sudden it has become an issue to them. Books written years and years ago are suddenly unfit for reading, because they may sway young minds, and will possibly open their eyes to a wider view. They may read history that isn’t very flattering. You realize it’s not really about the books, right? Like I said most of the books have been around a long time and there is no proof that reading them has caused any child any harm. if anything, some books have created questions for discussions and deeper understandings about our world Same goes with sexual identity. It’s always been around. Learning about it, not making a big deal about it, creates an environment for asking questions and getting a better understanding.
. So you see – It is about CONTROL – and it’s about who has the power.
Underneath, the gay and book banning motive is unfortunately the same as the Russian war in Ukraine. How you ask? (Marla, are you crazy?) There are people here who want to make decisions for others, who want to be the one in charge, to know what should be allowed, and what is not. They pose themselves as saviors of children, and experts on whatever needs to be done. (True smart people know they don’t know everything and are okay about admitting it. That is not a weakness.) Putin uses extreme measures to put fear into his people, to keep them under his thumb, and the conservative leaders here do also. They scare people into ‘what might happen’ if we allow gay talk – oh my, or any books to be read that have stories about bad stuff . What if Johnny reads this book, or if Susie learns of two dads in one household? And, worst of it all – they connect religion to it. They pick the parts of religion to support their stance – and to put ample fear in to the people. They point fingers at others who are doing it wrong – because they think they know what is best. Somehow though, they forget to use the parts of religion about love and acceptance for all. Oh, by the way, they claim they are Christians! Hmmm. Do they ask: What would Jesus do?
Remember the book “The Stepford Wives”? (Is it on the banned list now?) In the book the suburban women are lulled into a non-thinking, non-individual way of existing. They are controlled and do not see what is happening. They are just pretty shells. And the book “1984” is a futuristic look (written before 1984) about government controlling everyone’s lives to the point of not allowing free thinking, and personal expression. Big Brother was always watching. And there were people who’s jobs were to re-write history, and to change reality to what fit best for government’s control.
Sound familiar?
I’m wondering as I write this. Just kinda curious. I wonder the percentage of avid readers are in both our political parties. Is one party made up of more serious readers? How many Republicans in America are readers vs. Democrats in America? That could be a telling statistic.
Back to where I started: Easter is about God’s promise to us – because God knows being human is hard, and we get it wrong, and we act all pompous and stupid sometimes. God sent Jesus down into the middle of us, to tell us how to try and get it right. And, then God showed us, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, that the sins and the pain of this earth will one day be a thing of the past. Our unique soul, our individual free-thinking, free will person has hope, has opportunity for ‘more’ – and that’s a pretty awesome thing.
Controlling people and banning books. Unacceptance of people. Using fear. Suppression. Personal power on earth has nothing over that.
So – Have a blessed Easter all year long.
Marla’s Musings 