Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, indeed!

I was among those greeting people greeting others "Happy Easter" last week - because I will not see them again until Monday.  But something was tugging my heart.  Something seemed amiss.

How easy it is to skip to Easter without experiencing Good Friday?    How tempting is it for us to try to forget the painful and sad and just jump to the happy?

There is a reason Easter is such a joyous occasion but it seems that with the commercialization of this celebration, its true meaning fell by the wayside.  People have centered on the Easter Bunny, Easter Eggs and all the colors of spring without understanding what it really took to get there.

It was Good Friday that led to Easter.  It was death that led to life.  It was the ultimate sacrifice of Christ that gave us salvation.  We all need to recognize, experience, and live "Good Friday" to truly savor the joy of Easter.

Only then should we say "HAPPY EASTER!!!"