Celebrating Esther

I was asked to write a Blog “Celebrating Esther.” I can only recall a few Esthers; My aunt, the late Esther Moore from Five Forks, GA; Esther Williams, more famous for her swimming than her movies, and of course, there’s the Book of Esther in the Bible. Unfortunately, I only saw Aunt Esther at family reunions, so I don’t have much information to add. As for Esther Williams I was too young to be enamored of her; I was more interested in model airplanes. So I opened the Bible I have in my hands.

I’ll do what I can to celebrate Est…..Oh My!! Sorry!! I just re-read the “assignment;” It reads, Celebrate Easter, not Esther! Shoulda had my reading glasses on. Well, that clears up a lot!

Celebrating Easter! OK!! Now that makes sense; Easter is just two days away! Growing up in Deepstep, GA (Well, OK; Goat Town, to be precise) I always looked forward to Easter. Easter Services were exciting and crowded at Deepstep Methodist Church—part of the overcrowding due to cousins coming home for the Easter service; the other part of the crowd was local relatives coming to see the little ones in the Easter program.

After church our whole family adjourned to the woods—picnic dinners in tow—platters of fried chicken, sliced cured ham, mounds of potato salad, coleslaw, Deviled Eggs, fresh fruit salad, two kinds of pickles, coconut cream pies, Aunt Mildred’s famous, tall coconut cake, and enough sweet tea to float a small boat; all spread on a blanket on the grass for for a picnic and Easter Egg hunt. After eating ourselves silly, Grandaddy Veal took the small kids on a “Violet Hunt;” a delightful lagniappe on the day! In reality it was a distraction to allow the teenagers, and adults not packing away leftovers, to hide Easter Eggs. We really did hunt wild violets; grandaddy knew just where to take us: we always returned, clumps of dainty purple violets in hand, in time for a delightful Easter egg hunt.

On Easter weekend the proverbial gates were swung wide open for Easter egg hunts at any opportunity; Sunday School, family gatherings, clubs, community houses, even at school on Friday before Easter. Being pretty well shut in with long winter nights made folks really excited to get out and about. Kinda like we’re feeling this Easter.

As kids, we knew only highlights of the Easter story. Easter pageants, like Christmas plays, help provide living dioramas of the real story; a way of embedding it into our psyche. Sometimes adults get obsessed with minute details; like “did Jesus actually ride on a little donkey?” “Did he really go into the Temple breaking up the merchandising booths?” (It’s in the Book). Music and drama make the story come alive with sticking power. Easter celebrations are replete them. One of the hymns—with the Easter message—lingering since my childhood is; “He Lives:”

I serve a risen Saviour, He’s in the world today
I know that He is living, whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him He’s always near
…
In all the world around me I see His loving care
And though my heart grows weary I never will despair
I know that He is leading, through all the stormy blast
The day of His appearing will come at last
…
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart (Bold print mine).

And that, Dear Reader, is The Easter Story.

(Full disclosure; no one asked for “Celebrating Esther”—I just thought I’d have a little fun first!)

This Lovely scene is from Bishop Eduard Khegay, our UMC friends in Eurasia/ Central Asia: