Cord Byrd: “when many people contemplate Easter, thoughts of chocolate bunnies, Easter egg hunts, and family gatherings come to…”

“when many people contemplate Easter, thoughts of chocolate bunnies, Easter egg hunts, and family gatherings come to mind. Little girls dream of a new frilly lace-bedecked frock, shiny new patent leather shoes, and a festive bonnet adorned with ribbons and flowers to top it all off. It is hard not to feel an excitement in the air as the daylight hours increase, the winter coats are put away, and the sweet smell of the season's first roses fill the air. The landscape is freshly decorated with a pallet of azaleas, tulips, jonquils, and pink and white flowers of the dogwood. Overnight, it seems, the silhouettes of the tree branches disappear, replaced by the first green buds of spring. Neighbors, who seemed almost strangers during the long dark winter, suddenly greet you from their front porches, and passersby out for an afternoon stroll stop to offer that much-needed gardening advice, or they admire your latest planting. The first aroma of charcoal fills the air as grills are fired up after a long rest. Children play outside after dinner, trying to squeeze in every bit of the daylight into their playtime. Everything seems new, everything seems exciting, everything seems reborn. But during this season of rebirth, how many stop to ponder the true meaning of this most holiest of seasons of the Christian calendar? Easter, Jesus' resurrection from the dead, was the key belief of the earliest Christians.…”