Sunday, March 31, is Easter Sunday a traditional religious day of celebration for Christians. In Florida, as elsewhere in the United States, and throughout the Caribbean, Easter Sunday church services are normally one of the most well-attended, as entire families turn out to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Yet, although adults may adhere to the religious tradition of Easter, it seems like it’s not the same for the youth. In fact, many churches, especially the traditional Catholic and Episcopalian churches, are concerned the youth membership of their congregations has been dwindling in recent years.
Typing the word ‘Easter’ in Google, images results in a plethora of pictures of seemingly happy bunny rabbits and colorful eggs. Is Easter, to this generation, more about Jesus or about fluffy stuffed animals and egg hunts?
A recent survey conducted by a large church in Texas found although 82 percent of young people between the ages of 15 and 25 years of age are aware of the religious meaning of Easter, only 37 percent attend church on Easter Sunday. Significantly, 33 percent did not believe Jesus rose from the dead, and 23 percent, doubted it was possible for Jesus to have risen.
Here in Florida, asking a similar question to some young people under 18, revealed a disconnect as to exactly what Easter means. A small minority knew that Easter stands for Christ’s resurrection, but more alarming, some didn’t even understand what exactly the resurrection of Christ means. It was ironic that several South Florida teens expressed their intent of attending Easter services this year, despite not really understanding what Easter is all about. One teenage girl said, “ On Easter Sunday the entire family traditionally attends church service in the morning. I go along because my parents insist I do, but I don’t really understand the fuss.”
The disconnect with a growing number of the youth with adhering to the religious tradition of Easter, and other religious commemorative days, has become a great concern for many parents, who worry that the true meaning of these Christian commemorations are quickly being obscured by more worldly endeavors.
In the U.S. church survey referred to earlier, 57 percent of the youth surveyed said they party a lot on the Saturday before Easter and looked forward to Ester Sunday to spend “happy time” with family members.
There is a trend of thought that suggests the use of the internet is sowing doubts in the minds of some young people regarding the Easter and other religious festivals meaning. There are several sites on the Internet that actually rubbishes Easter’s religious meaning while focusing on other aspects of Easter. Many parents in South Florida have expressed regret that, unlike Caribbean schools, schools in the US do not teach, or have any focus on, Christianity. Indeed, because schools in the US do not focus on Christian teaching, it is the responsibility of parents to instruct their children on the teachings and meanings of Christianity, and respective Christian celebrations.
Listening to some youth discuss the importance of religion in their lives, it’s borne out that many regard church as “boring”, and even as one young man said, “irrelevant to the modern world.” This opinion seems more related to the traditional church which features a more conservative order of service. There’s some evidence more young people attend non-traditional churches where services are characterized by lively music played by church bands, have large choirs singing praise lustily, and where pastors are usually more charismatic in their preaching than in the traditional churches.
In the meantime, many parents would like their teenage children to be more entuned to the religious meaning of Easter. Some actually believe traditional Easier icons like the bunny rabbit do help.
According to Kim Wier of focusonthefamily.com, “Bunnies, eggs, floral baskets and more can become tools that parents use to bring a greater understanding of the message of Easter [to their young children].” She states that since Easter is an opportune time for parents to talk to their children about God’s love and mercy, the Easter bunny can be used as a representation of God’s true character.
For example, Easter bunnies “are white as snow because Jesus takes all sin away (Isaiah 1:18b),” “have big ears that are quick to listen” (James 1:19), “are quiet in prayer, but hop with thanksgiving and rejoicing, (Philippians 4:4-6), ” and “have big feet to go tell others about Jesus, (Matthew 28: 19-20).”
A Florida pastor concurs, saying: “It’s becoming more challenging to motivate young people to attend church or to teach them about Christian milestones like Easter. Therefore, using fun and innovative means is a great way to teach the youth about Easter’s true meaning and attract them to attend church. It’s important they hold true to these principles which have remained a vital part of life for many generations.”
