MY FRIEND TONY, EASTER, THE EGGS, RABBITS AND CROSS
“This magazine article will really make you wide awake as to why Easter isn’t for truly ‘mature’ Christians,” the man told Tony on a spring day as he stood in a dark blue suitcoat and necktie at Tony’s door along with a younger blonde-headed woman.
“What do you mean?” Tony, who was thirteen, asked the man.
“For example, the day’s name is from an ancient non-Christian pagan goddess named Eastre, that’s what the ancient British scholar named Bede once said.”
Tony shook his head. “I would have believed that up until last year when I did a report on Easter in class. I read a lot and talked to a lot of people. There are other possibilities. Bede was only making a guess.”
“Like what?” The blonde woman gently demanded.
Tony answered, “It’s also possible the word for Easter came from the word eastern which is Old English or Anglo-Saxon for out of the east. Christianity came out of the East to Europe. To be exact it came from the Middle East, and besides that many Christians have believed from scripture that Christ returns from the east to resurrect people.”
The man in the suit frowned. “That sounds really good but you know the magazine also points out that Easter eggs and rabbits are the vestiges of ancient pagan fertility rites.”
Tony shook his head. “Christians use eggs and newly born rabbits to symbolize new life as in the resurrection of Christ which is what the holiday is about.”
“Surely,” the woman prompted, “you want to please God?”
“Of course.”
“Then here’s another thing to consider. People wear a cross, especially around Easter, even though they believe that is what killed Christ. Would you really want to wear a miniature gun on your neck symbolizing the gun that killed your best friend?”
“That’s a good question, ma’am. I wrote a note on that and have it in my Bible. Can you give me a second?”
“Okay,” the two agreed.
Tony sooned returned to his door. “Here. Paul says for Christians to boast of the cross because Christ turned it into a symbol of the resurrection hope. It symbolized his victory over death and what brought about death. Read it for yourselves at Galatians 6:14 and 1 Corinthians 1:17-18.”
The two blinked. “Well, to come to an understanding of the truth you must have the three H’s. That’s to be humble, honest and hungry. So I think we’re wasting our time here with you.”
Tony shook his head. “Why leave? Why attack myself instead of what I have to say? It’s because you can’t atttack the reasoning which is real truth, so you have to try to discredit me myself.”
The two backed away from the door. “Listen, the man said. We really must be going. We must preserve our faith in the one true organization on earth. God’s organization.”
Tony called after them as they scuttled across the sidewalk back to their car. “Come back again sometime. Christianity or all true Christians in it anyway is God’s organization.”
“I don’t think so,” the woman said, looking puzzled and as if ice water had hit her in the face.
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Why not see that some of the Friends get copies of this? It's especially good for younger ones, who will read it then give a copy to one parent, who will then let the other parent see it, who will then give it to an elder, who will give it to the President Overseer, who will give a it to the Circuit Overseer -- or at least that's one of any number of possible scenarios. Another is that each who gets a copy will hold onto a copy to keep and use later.
If you want more stories like this let me know.