Growing up, Easter was all about the eggs. Chocolate eggs, decorated eggs, hard boiled eggs, plastic eggs with money, cadburry eggs, etc. Even when I became old enough to know that the bunny was a fraud, we still decorated eggs and hid them around the house for fun (at my older sister’s insistence).
But this year, there were no eggs involved. Like last year, I spent this Easter overseas along with some new cultural experiences. The “Easter” holiday actually ended up being a 3 day celebration here in the Philippines. However, the 3 days that they celebrate are actually Thursday, Friday, Saturday …instead of Friday, Saturday, Sunday. But how can they skip the celebration of Easter Sunday? I know it sounds odd… but that is really just the beginning…
Thursday they begin with the “Ortigas Blitz.” Ortigas is one the main roads here in Manila, and there is a large, Catholic church that is off towards one end of the road, and the point of Thursday is to walk their way to that church. For miles and miles families walk to this church, similar to Jesus’ walk to the cross. They walk and they pray, and when they reach the church, they get on their knees and pray for forgiveness. It’s a walk on penance and goes on late into the night.
Friday (or Good Friday as we call it), has similar concepts in America and the Philippines, however, this culture takes it a little farther than I have ever seen before. We know Friday as the day that Jesus was hung on the cross. In the Philippines, it is also the day that several thousands of men across the country will also hang on a cross. These men consider it an honor to be flogged and literally nailed hand and feet to a cross, to try and understand the pain that Jesus experienced. Though they don’t take it far enough to be killed, these same men every year are nailed to a cross in rememberence of Jesus.
Saturday is referred to as “Black Saturday.” For the most part, the Filipino people stay inside and do not talk. They believe that yesterday Jesus died, and it being the day after, if something were to happen to them, there would be nobody to vouch for them, and they would end up stuck in pergatory. So they stay inside and they stay quiet and hope to make it through to the next day.
So what about Sunday? Nothing much really. For the majority of Filipinos, they wake up, and begin your normal, average, everyday Sunday. No celebration. No parade. No grand displays. Just a normal day.
And it’s a little sad to me. They are missing the real glory of this time of year. Despite the fact that this is such a hugely “Christian” (Catholic) nation, they are missing out on the true meaning of this religious holiday. Yes, Jesus died. Yes, it was terrible, and painful, and awful… but 3 days later HE ROSE!
Three days later, the world changed! Three days later, Jesus did exactly what He said he would, proving that He was who he said He was, forgiving us of our sins, and allowing salvation for us through believing in Him.
As you wake up this Sunday morning and begin your day, my
prayer is that you would not just go about your day like any other day.
I hope that you would not forget the importance of this day in history.
Not that 2000+ years ago, a man named Jesus was killed, but that 2000+
years ago, on this day, a man named Jesus rose from the grave after
being killed three days ago, and in doing so, he has made a path for
you to come to God and be accepted, forgiven, and saved to live in eternity with Him and Jesus. Be thankful for this gift today.
prayer is that you would not just go about your day like any other day.
I hope that you would not forget the importance of this day in history.
Not that 2000+ years ago, a man named Jesus was killed, but that 2000+
years ago, on this day, a man named Jesus rose from the grave after
being killed three days ago, and in doing so, he has made a path for
you to come to God and be accepted, forgiven, and saved to live in eternity with Him and Jesus. Be thankful for this gift today.
