Today is Easter Sunday, 2023.
Although the connection between this specific day and the historical crucifixion of Jesus is arbitrary, today is the day when Christians around the world celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Easter—not Christmas—is the most important holiday in the Christian calendar. (See? I learned something from twelve years of Catholic school.)
Many Christians struggle to connect Biblical themes with modern realities. If you’re among that crowd, you’re not alone. Although raised in the Catholic faith, I struggle not just with faith itself, but with how to best practice it in the context of those aforementioned modern realities. I’m not going to hold up myself as an example of Christian virtue. I miss the mark almost every day.
Not everyone is Christian, of course. But not everyone is Jewish, Muslim, or Buddhist, either. We live in a world in which “none of the above” is the fastest-growing religious affiliation.
At the same time, though, atheism, as expressed by Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris roughly a decade ago, has failed to supplant conventional religion. Atheism is “no longer cool”. Nor does atheism provide a hopeful vision for fragile human beings who must ultimately confront death—both their own, and those of the people they love.
The West, at least, is in the grip of a spiritual identity crisis.
But back to Easter. If you can think of Easter in its conventional, religious context, I encourage you to do that today.
But even if you can’t, today might be a good day to reflect on the concepts of spiritual renewal and resurrection in a more general sense. Maybe it would also be a good idea to consider the question: What do I believe? You don’t owe me an answer, but you do owe yourself one.
