Spring Break in Babylon
Dear EBC family,
Passion week has come and gone and I am still savoring the meaningful gatherings to honor our Lord Jesus. I loved the rich traditions of the Passover Seder Thursday evening, the somber gratitude of our Good Friday service, the bright-eyed excitement of the Easter Story and Egg Hunt Saturday morning, and the grand Sunday celebrations of our risen Lord. There is no other time throughout the year that is so intentionally focused on celebrating our Savior Jesus Christ.
Now, it is Spring Break here in Washington state. A week off from classes as winter gives way to spring has been an annual tradition for nearly a century in American schools and universities. However, it was originally called Easter Break or Easter Vacation, and was scheduled to coincide with Easter Sunday. One of the purposes was to give students, especially university students, the time to travel home to celebrate the Easter holiday with their family.
By the 1960’s, the connection with the Christian holiday was left behind and gave way to the modern Spring Break. The popular use of the time no longer had anything to do with the passion of Christ, but passion for great vacation destinations. Flocks of vacationers flew to beaches for a week of sun and surf, or surged to theme parks and other exciting getaways. In addition to family friendly vacations, Spring Break also became notorious for university students overwhelming beach towns, especially Fort Lauderdale, and going on a week-long group bender. Vestiges of this practice continue to this day.
The phenomenon of Spring Break is one more example of the secularization of America. But while I mourn the loss, I refuse to take up the angst this prompts in so many Christians. The secular drift reflects a populace that largely does not know and love Jesus, and griping about it will not commend the Savior to them. They must be won by the glory of Jesus and the beauty of the gospel. That is what being his witnesses is all about.
I take inspiration from the word of God through Jeremiah to the Jews living in captivity in Babylon. They had huge angst toward their captors, and understandably so. They were inclined to sit on their hands and smolder till the holy bus came to take them out of that pagan wasteland back to the holy land. God said they did not need a change of location, but a change of attitude.
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:4–7)
So, whether you are vacationing, studying, or working this week, do it as one filled with joy and gratitude for Jesus. Shine like a city on a hill which cannot be hidden, like you’ve found a treasure worth everything you have. Serve and pray for your neighbors, who have no idea that knowing Christ is infinitely better than a week in Fort Lauderdale.
Pastor Toby
Categories: Evergreen Connection