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Christianity Today, April (Web-only), 2009 |

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Happiness Is Not Hope

How Easter Sunday can become the unhealthy denial of death.

Mark Galli | posted 4/16/2009 08:59AM

Easter Sunday was once again a triumph, a magnificent celebration of ultimate hope. But the spiritual life is a wily animal, and the very thing that seems unquestionably good is often questioned by the ...

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Bill	Posted: April 21, 2009 10:43 AM

I really don't think the article was that misleading, but I can understand the concern. I'm happy my fellow believers are that protective of the Resurrection! (although some could be nicer about it). Anyway, I think one useful way of putting it is to observe that we generally pull the stops out for Easter Sunday, but give much less attention to Good Friday. When I was younger I remember late night Friday services, very somber in tone, and very joyous sunrise services on Sunday. I think you need both. Our American Christian culture is obsessed with Sunday, but sweeps Friday under the rug. You have to give the Catholics that, at least - they meditate on Christ's suffering and give due significance to his crucifixion (well, perhaps too much - but that's another discussion). Anyway, one cannot truly celebrate the miracle of Christ's victory over death, if one avoids ruminating upon death in any fashion. I think that's the point of Mark's article.

Charlie

Posted: April 21, 2009 10:38 AM

I am not afraid of the dark, even though it represents about 1/3 of my existence. My life, however, is lived in the light and I concentrate on living in the light without ignoring the darkness - which comes every day. The teaching emphasis of Jesus and the Apostles was "life in its fulness," which can only happen because of Easter. In all the world, I believe, only Christians have an answer to the inevitable mortality of human beings, eternal life in Jesus Christ. We are an Easter people - living in the resurrection daily. We do not ignore death, but simply treat it as Jesus did, a normal part of life which has also been redeemed by His blood. My wife died 6 months ago, so death has been with me every day - a constant reminder that this, too, as bad as it (her death) is, has been transformed by Easter. I don't need reminders of death. I need reminders of life, eternal and full.

Claire

Posted: April 18, 2009 2:08 PM

Being 77, I at one point in time, started thinking about an inevitable death and that fear of the unknown arrived and not as a comfort at all. But as I was pondering I saw in my mind's eye, what I had since a child pictured the Lord's garden tomb. I believed at that moment the Lord's was telling me that that was the tomb I would be going through, where there is no fear but joy. It was indeed a comfort and I hold on to that special memory, but I still have a mourning for those who have lost their loved one. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted......Thanks to God.

Gene Christian

Posted: April 18, 2009 9:40 AM

Sounds like Mr. Gaily lacks the discernment to recognize what Mr.Galli's article attempts to do - firmly ground us in the soil out of which the resurrection grows. Death can be horrifying, the end of our very existence. Jesus' resurrection provides the only real ground of hope of escaping it's clutches. In other words, the more profound one's understanding of the reality of death, the greater and more exhilarating is the hope and expectation of resurrection. Our culture has turned Easter in to candy and flowers; church leaders surely have a responsibility to ground us in the reality of death so that we may the more appreciate what God has done for believers in Christ. This is what Mr. Galli has done. Thank you!

A Disciple

Posted: April 18, 2009 8:30 AM

Easter Sunday is worse than the unhealthy denial of death described. Rather, it is the denial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as God's greatest, once-and-for-all and all-powerful self-revelation to mankind right on the day of "unleavened bread" (the Passover on Friday) in direct fulfillment and application of the promise to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3: 1-15), i.e., as self-sufficient fire and life wholly independent of matter or flesh. Easter Sunday is nothing less than "looking for the living among the dead" (Luke 24:5) --an outright and subtle denial of Christ's victory, through his death, over the Devil and death (Heb. 2: 14-15). BE WARNED! Easter Sunday is a grand deception!!!!!

Mark Galli

Posted: April 18, 2009 6:20 AM

The more I read your comments and re-read the column, I'm afraid I've not done a very good job here. A couple more points I'll try to add in the piece: 1. I'm hardly against joyous, even giddy celebrations of the Resurrection. My church has the most glorious Easter celebration of any church I've been in, and I absolutely love it. 2. What I was trying to say, and said rather badly I see, is that we would all be better served if our Resurrection celebrations were framed better by the soberness of death. Many liturgical churches do that well, because the entire Holy Week is a sobering series of services that help one mourn so that on Easter one can ever more deeply be blessed. But most evangelicals churches don't have the resource of Holy Week services, and many do their very best to avoid anything negative any week. I understand the motive for that, but I think it makes are celebrations shallow. I hope this helps.

TJ	Posted: April 17, 2009 2:30 PM

Um, I think some things in this article are definitely true, but frankly the connections are a bit week. I think Mark is right about our cultures denial of death, about the churches participation in that, and probably about the level of our spirituality in church members. It's just unclear if there is any substantial connection to Easter other than that we just celebrated it last week. It's like when pastors sometimes have something they really feel passionate about, but have an assigned text for the week. They are dead solid on what they care about, but the relationship to the text is confusing for the audience. In this case, the death/discipleship stuff is what Galli cares about, and the "text" is how the church sometimes celebrates Easter. On a bigger level, this column in general is starting to seem more like a blog. Seems like every week and sometimes twice a week, Mark puts out a new article. Be careful that you don't run out of things to say!

Ron	Posted: April 17, 2009 10:35 AM

The disciples initially missed the message of Resurrection Morning as well. Mark, I respectfully think you may have missed the purpose of the Resurrection Morning celebrations in our churches. Your following comment speaks of your distorted misinterpretation of what happens in most churches: "Easter is not about a giddy happiness that dulls the pain of life, helping us forget our troubles for a day. It is about a sobering hope for those in the midst of a death walk — that is, all of us." Easter is a joyous celebration that Christ conquered even death and He has shared that gift of eternal life with every believer, expressed in the Words of Christ Himself, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." Easter is not about death... It is about LIFE! Please... we all know we are going to die. Some. despite that, will deny until the day they die.

Mark Galli

Posted: April 17, 2009 8:57 AM


Just to be clear about a about a couple of things. Indeed I do believe in the resurrection, of Jesus and eventually of me. And yes, Jesus' resurrection is about the conquering of death. But we can look to the resurrection to merely mask fear and death (this is what I call denial) or to transform it into genuine biblical hope. It's a subtle distinction, I admit, but a real one.

Larry

Posted: April 17, 2009 7:31 AM


I have no fear of death, Though the process can be quite unnerving.

Ralph Gaily

Posted: April 16, 2009 8:48 PM


Mark Galli..... either one believes in the resurrection of Christ, or one does not believe! As a Senior Managing Editor of a large Christian magazine, you should hang it up if you don't believe. "A little leaven ......" Ralph Gaily

Clarence Cossey

Posted: April 16, 2009 8:36 PM

Just after 1970, there was an article in Newsweek Magazine about death. One of its sentences said that not only is it unamerican to grow old, but the most unamerican act of all is to die. In the year 2000, right or wrong, I felt God's will was for me to give my 93 year father permission to die. So I prayed with him and reminded him that not only were his children grown up, but also retired. No, it was not easy, and six years later I found watching my 50 year daughter die was much harder. Now all I can really say is that my trust remains in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

MP	Posted: April 16, 2009 8:26 PM

Thanks for this thoughtful article. What you say is true; the resurrection validates and establishes the truth and reality of the cross as the sum of all Jesus said and did as the Incarnate Son of God. The "eternal hope" that denies or avoids death because Jesus has conquered it is Gnostic and cannot acknowledge that we remain in the "body of death" from which we are delivered each day by the indwelling Spirit. If we have no need to pay attention to the power and effects of death, that is, if we live already in the fullness of God's life, then we have no need to pay attention to the deadly ways of life and effects in the world around us, nor do we have any reason to enter into them, as did and does the Lord who conquered through the power and wisdom of the cross. Evangelicals are addicted to American triumphalism; they do not want any part of the way of the cross. Was Christ raised in vain?

Rev. Austin Miles

Posted: April 16, 2009 7:55 PM


This is one of the strangest aritcles by a 'Christian' that I have read. Then again, many strange things, ideas and statements from 'Christians' can be found everywhere today. Especially in the pages of Christianity Today and this take on Easter. Rev. Austin Miles

Irene Voysey

Posted: April 16, 2009 4:45 PM

Mark's SO right! I watched my active mother fade away and prayed the Lord would take her. I expected to be glad for her and us; she was in Heaven; not `dead', but free of suffering. The shock of endless tears and near-depression was greater than I can express. It was a frustrating battle and I despised my `emotion'. I'd once thought others in my situation should `move on'; focus on the hope of the resurrection, be positive. I accepted the gift of a small (secular) book skeptically, but it saved my sanity. Contrary to how society views those who are `coping well', it described my symptoms and told me I was coping precisely as I should be `coping'. Scripture affirms it. Jesus was moved by grief. I know He demonstrated compassion to me in my time of grief. It taught me to be more compassionate to those facing the reality of death and the grief it must bring. We are still frail humans with God-given emotions. I've learned that grief and joy are a good and`right' mix.

Mary	Posted: April 16, 2009 3:40 PM

Okay..I get a semblance of what you are saying about our culture's avoidance of death and facing it. I get that. What I don't get is how the Resurrection is a denial of death. The whole focus is that death has been conquered by Christ. We have hope, we don't have to fear death. Death and its subsequent defeat the core of Good Friday-Easter. And not only that death was swallowed up in victory but we can live our lives to the full... NOW. We don't have to wait until we die to start living eternally. Eternity starts now. And the grip of the grave is broken! Seems that you are attributing a certain power to death that should not exist because of the work of Christ.

Anonymous

Posted: April 16, 2009 2:07 PM

One main difference remains between your parent's death, and the death of Jesus; that is, Jesus rose from the dead. In Luke, it states, "And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, WHY SEEK YE THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD? Luk 24:5" And in the same sense, we can say, "why seek the dead among the living," as in Luke 24:17, where it states, "And he [Jesus] said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, AND ARE SAD?" This is not a "sobering hope" as you proclaim it, but hope eternal. Grief and joy do not mix. It is a joy unexplainable that we celebrate on Easter, a joy awarded to all of us who believe. Why do we not concentrate on death more in the church? Because the grave was conquered. Our focus should be in the eternal, not the mortal. If what you state is true, than I will gladly be in "denial," for I am also in "denial" of my punishment to sin, because Jesus has overthrown that as well.

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