Wednesday 15 April 2015

An Easter Challenge

As Easter egg remnants are consumed do we stop to think “What was the point of that?” For many, Easter will have been another expensive time with little to show for it other than scattered glittery foil and unwanted smeared chocolate finger marks. Is it really necessary or potentially detrimental to lie to children about a mythical rodent, the Easter Bunny?

The Bible advises not to lie to each other in Colossians 3:9, and in Proverbs 12:22 we are told God detests lying lips. Nowhere does it say it is OK to lie to children as eventually they will discover the truth. There is nothing wrong with fairy tales or made up stories, they often contain good moral messages, as long as children are aware that that is what they are, made up stories. I wonder what God thinks about people’s lack of appreciation for what he did for them in creating them a beautiful country and giving us a Saviour who died many Easters ago?

I have always tried not to lie to my children. Wise friends of ours pointed out that if you lie to your children about things, including the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy when they discover you have been lying to them for years will they not question what else you have lied to them about? Will this cause them to lose some respect for you as a parent?

There is much to enjoy in our world, including chocolate, that God has created. We are currently enjoying watching our chrysalis’ hatch into beautiful monarch butterflies and my son is looking forward to being able to stay up late in the school holidays to look at the majesty of the night skies. Let’s remember these things throughout the year and cease lying.

Nicola Hawkins - Mangapapa Church

Published in the Gisborne Herald Saturday 11 April 2015

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