It is kind of hard to ignore that Easter is soon upon us. I’ve always been mindful of how strange it is to be the minority faith in America, even though I’m part of the majority. My closest friends were Hindu or Jewish while I was in school, and I still remember how awkward it was that the principal would say a Jesus-centric prayer at every football game at our public (meaning not private, thus not religious) high school football games.

It seems so strange that non-religious organizations such as grocery stores and pharmacies and craft supply shops will have displays for every Christian holiday but totally ignore the fact that there are people who have other festivals and observances who live in the same community. I think it is best to have all, or none.

But I digress.

I saw a sign at the local grocery store saying “The Hunt is On” over a huge display of Easter candy. The hunt? Oh right. Easter eggs. Hidden. And you go find them.

Plenty of people say that Easter is a pagan holiday, that the Christians simply adopted the celebration of Ostara as their own. They say that to celebrate Easter is to worship a false god (or goddess). Maybe this is true. It bears further research.

But, it seems backwards, this entire idea of us hunting for eggs.

We aren’t the ones who do the seeking. God is.

God is the one who seeks us.
God is the father to the prodigal son.
God is the one who goes to find the lost sheep.
God is the one who seeks the lost coin.
God puts everything aside to find us, to gather us up like a hen shelters her chicks.
God is the one who heals us.

We are the eggs, hidden, lost, confused, ashamed.
God finds us, brings us out into the light.

Notice how beautiful hand painted Easter eggs are. Each one is different and special. That is how God sees us.