It all started on Thursday before Easter 2025 …

“I hope that my brother washed your feet!”

The reference was to my pastor son, the questioner my spiritual son in Pakistan.

Foot washing is a beautiful service, one that highlights humility and helps us remember the Last Supper. It isn’t, however, part of my family’s traditions…

Later that day I met up with a sweet lady while I was out on a walk. She told me she wasn’t celebrating Easter this year, because she and her family had had their Easter dinner together two weeks earlier…

Then there was Friday … The Good Friday service at my son’s church was … in the evening? Why? Isn’t morning when you’re supposed to celebrate Good Friday?

How shocked I was when I went out later to visit my husband to see that all of the stores were open! Last I checked, I still live in Canada, and as far as I knew, Canada is still considered to be a Christian country, yet on this statutory holiday, all the stores were still open. “It’s because we’re a multi-cultural city,” was the explanation I received. “We have so many people of so many different religious backgrounds who don’t celebrate Good Friday and Easter!”

Well, at least I understood why the Good Friday service was in the evening! It was so that those who were forced to work on Good Friday would be able to attend services!

Later that day, as I was out walking my dog yet again, someone asked me how I would celebrate Easter. I responded by saying that I would go to the Good Friday service at my son’s church later that evening. The person stared at me blankly. “What about you?” I asked, to break the tension. “Oh our grandson is coming over tonight. Then we’ll gather as a family tomorrow (Saturday) for dinner, then the kids will be free to do whatever they want on Sunday!”

Wait. Has Easter become a glorified excuse for families to get together for a dinner?

The Good Friday service was beautiful, powerful, anointed, and I was determined to carry that blessing through to Resurrection Sunday. And for the most part, with the help of God, I did stay focused on Jesus throughout Saturday.

Then came the text early Sunday morning from my spiritual son in Pakistan: “My dear mother tell me did you also take out a procession with candles?”

Procession with candles? I had never heard of this. Apparently it is a custom amongst Christians in this part of Pakistan to gather together at 3:45 am. They light candles and march through the streets singing hymns and Psalms and shouting, “Jesus Christ is risen!” Then at 5:30 AM, they go to church and worship there for another two hours until the Resurrection day service begins.

I attended the Resurrection service Sunday morning in my church in Canada, but it started at the normal time (10:30 am), it lasted the normal 90 minutes, and although it was a powerful service where we clearly felt God’s presence, following the service the children all went outside to decorate Easter eggs, and the adults began talking about where they would go for Easter lunch.

Now before I get too pious, I must admit that I also joined my family for Easter lunch, at their house. We had a lovely time talking about things and going for a walk, but we didn’t talk too much about Jesus. Here I am building a case for how people aren’t focusing on Jesus on Resurrection Sunday; meanwhile, I am no better.

It all made me think: It’s okay for different cultures to have different traditions, God loves each one. He does hope, however, that somehow He can make it into the middle of our traditions. It is, after all, a day to celebrate the greatest act of love in History. Would we do well to follow the example of our Pakistani brothers and sisters and actually make Easter about—Jesus??? After all, Jesus went to the cross for each one of us! Shouldn’t He be allowed to be part of our celebrations?

Or better, shouldn’t He be the CENTRE of our celebrations?

Whatever you are planning to do today to celebrate Easter, may I encourage you to let God be the centre of it. It was, after all, Jesus who suffered and died so that we might live: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17 NIV).

Perhaps we need to take some lessons from the women who came to the tomb. They heard the good news, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” (Matthew 28:6 NIV), they “… hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” (Matthew 28:8 NIV)!

How will YOU spend Easter this year?

In His love,
Lyn


Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Answers2Prayer Ministries