WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE EASTER SUNDAYS OF MY CHILDHOOD, a family photo comes to mind: my two sisters and I decked out in fluffy dresses, with white gloves and new hats. And patent leather shoes. We're standing in front of our military quarters on Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. My brother, then a teenager, lurks in the background, crew cut, a new turquoise shirt. But other than new clothes, dyed eggs and chocolate bunnies, what Easter really meant—that I didn't really have a good grasp on. I think I imagined Jesus flying away from the tomb.
Later, I learned the magnificent story in all its detail and glory. I also learned that Jesus died for our sins (even as an adult, I still didn't get that part exactly), but I did understand that he overcame death and ascended from the earth.
However, when I began studying Christian Science, the whole meaning of Easter became clear—not just the details. I found out that resurrection doesn't mean that only Jesus overcame death. Rather, his resurrection proved that LIFE—his, mine, or anyone else's—can never be interrupted, not for three days, three hours, or three seconds. Life continues. Life cannot be obliterated or even threatened by death. Death, the opposite of Life, cannot exist, because God, infinite Life itself, exists everywhere at once. Omnipresent. Omnipotent. Life alone has power and presence. And furthermore, the only thing keeping me from experienceing the full power and immediate vitality of LIFE lies in my clinging to material beliefs about mortality.
