Celebrating Easter??

How did you celebrate Easter? Did you hide eggs in the lawn for the kids to find or maybe went to a church service and ate with friends and family afterward? Maybe, you watched a live play at your church or the Passion of the Christ movie. Whatever it was, everyone seems to have a tradition for the holiday, it is what makes it fun or important for you.

 Well, here in Mexico we have many traditions starting the week before to the actual day of Easter. These two weeks are also spring break which means not only are there celebrations and events but vacations. The traffic is actually nice and you can go explore the city without tons of crowds that is if the places you want to see are open. It is a nice relaxing two weeks for us. This year we had some friends from Michigan join us in our Easter celebrations and have some fun exploring the city! What we saw and witnessed this past week was very interesting. The way Mexicans and Catholics celebrate Easter is so similar yet so different than how we celebrate back home.

 There are tons of parties, festivals, live dramas, fireworks, and other fun events for basically two weeks straight. Each section of the city or small town does something a little different, it all depends on the Catholic church there and its leadership. (and also what the area is famous for) We saw live dramas of actors acting out the scene of Jesus carrying the cross down a road to the place where He was hung and then the moment He died. We saw tons of people going to special Easter services and celebrating with family over food. We saw tons of banners celebrating His resurrection and signs talking about His glory and yet in the middle of this, Mary, Guadalupe and other saints being worshipped. It was confusing, to be honest, but yet clear that they believed Jesus died on the cross and rose again. All the temples we went into had banners, signs or other representations of Jesus’ death and resurrection. BUT, when you talk to a Catholic they don't believe Jesus is their way to heaven. They still believe it is through works and the saints. Whatever the local father in the temple says is what I must do since they are holier than me. How can they be so close but yet so far from the truth? After a week of experiencing Easter here, we were left confused. What are their beliefs then? If they have read the bible and the story of Jesus’ sacrifice for us why can't they understand it? Where are they getting these rituals from that are not biblical? Why do they even celebrate Jesus if they don't truly believe in Him?

 We have so many questions and are working on getting answers because we believe that God has a plan for each one of these lost sheep and we are asking God to lead us into the correct way to approach them and share with them the truth. Please pray with us as we continue to go on this journey of sharing the Good News of Salvation! I would like to leave you with one thought, when looking at the way you celebrate Easter, are you truly giving Him glory and fulfilling the mission and vision God gave us as a body of Christ and you or is it another holiday tradition?