Being an Easter Christian

We lived in Dundee, Illinois prior to moving to Dallas twentry-three years ago. Our neighbors across the street were Dan and Wanda. Dan and I connected immediately because we had many things in common. He was the son of a Lutheran pastor and a serious sports fan. He was very active in his church, teaching a Bible class and serving as the church trumpter for all festivals. Dan had a very gregarious personality, allowing him to instantly connect with strangers. Dundee still had a small town atmosphere and everyone knew Dan. Dan worked out of his house and it wasn't uncommon to see a police car parked out front. The officers knew Dan always had the coffee pot on and everyone was welcome to stop by. Wanda had MS and, while it was in remission, she and Dan decided not to have children. But Dan loved kids, especially teenagers. He was an avid Chicago Bears fan and Sundays in the fall he would host the neighborhood boys. They would snack and watch the game together.

Dan celebrated life. He was also open about his faith. His pastor told me that on his first Easter as the church he was shocked to find a colored Easter Egg in the pulpit when he got ready to preach his sermon. As he scanned the congregation Dan's giggling gave his secret away. It was a tradition that continued every year.

Dan was a successful business man. He worked for non-profits, helping them generate funds. His outgoing nature made him a natural at hosting golf outings, auctions and other events. Dan was friends with many pro athletes and local celebrities. He lived a fast lifestyle, but those of us who knew him accepted it as part of his job.

It all came crashing down one January afternoon. One of the organizations Dan worked for discovered he had been embessling funds. Dan caught wind of it so instead of attending the meeting where he would be confront, Dan killed himself. Prior to that he stopped by Wanda's office with a dozen roses and a love letter. Our dinner that evening was interrupted by a pounding at the door. Wanda was hysterical. She had found his body in the garage next to his favorite shotgun.

Yesterday was Easter and I once again thought of Dan. In many ways he was the antithesis of the Christmas and Easter Christians we professional church workers talk about. They surfaced again yesterday. A quick poll around the dinner table revealed all three church represented had seen attendance double what is normal. Dan, on the other hand, was the opposite. He was visible around his church every Sunday, but something had gone wrong. When faced with his sin, he chose to bail out. Jesus words from the cross, "Father forgive them..." (Luke 23:34) were forgotten. The Good News of the empty tomb did not apply.

We are Easter people. You most likely attended worship yesterday as a family, but today is when "the rubber meets the road." Jesus' victory rings hallow if we don't live everyday fearlessly for him. We are still sinners, but the barrier between our sins and Our God has been destroyed. No sin is greater than Jesus' love for us. That's a lesson we need to pass on to our children, and the best way to do that is to live it. Everyday.