Happy Easter

Bach's St. Matthew Passion is one of my favorite pieces of Easter music. It's a very famous work with many admirers, but the verses themselves make no mention of the Resurrection:



I understand the tendency to focus on the sacrifice and suffering of Jesus, but it really becomes a joyless world if we forget the Resurrection. To be fair, the New Testament doesn't say much about the actual mechanics of the whole thing - there isn't a crowd of people watching zombie Jesus come back from the dead, for instance. Instead, some people find an empty tomb, and Jesus is seen walking around later on. A bit understated for a miracle, I suppose.

Still, the fact remains that Easter Sunday is supposed to be a hopeful holiday, a time when great miracles can occur and great wrongs can be mended. The idea of rebirth, of life after death, is a central tenet of Christianity; at its heart is the belief that no matter how heinous the evil, good can never be extinguished. Happy Easter, everyone!