Good Friday and Easter Sunday mark the most important dates on the Christian calendar according to Pastor Tim Callaway of Airdrie's Daybreak Community Church.

 "Easter is the high point on the Christian calendar.  Some people may think that Christmas is, but it's actually Easter.  The reason for that is the scriptures say that if Christ has not been raised from the dead then our faith is in vain, and the word vain literally means futile, empty, meaningless.  So that's a very strong statement regarding the fundamental importance of the resurrection of Christ.  The resurrection is indeed what undergirds our existence as a church and our committment to the community."

Christians traditionally believe that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross on Good Friday and was resurrected to glory on Easter Sunday.  It's a much more sombre event than searching for chocolate easter eggs and stuffed bunnies.  But Callaway says Christians should celebrate the fun of Easter as well as remembering Christ's sacrifice.   

" This time of year, especially in Alberta after the winter we had, the emphasis on new life is a common theme that we try to celebrate in conjunction with the broader culture.  New life after winter, the coming of the spring season, the green grass, the leaves on the trees.  In a very real sense there's a resurrection that's taking place in nature around us.  The whole idea of new life breaking out of an egg that's symbolized in the easter egg tradition, we don't have a problem with that.  We celebrate the focus on newness of life and the resurrection of nature.  For us however, there's more to it than that and that has to do with our firm belief in the resurrection of Christ from the dead, coming back from the dead to conquer the power of death and the sting of death as the apostle Paul talks about in one of his letters to the Corinthians."

According to Callaway, it's a matter of finding common cause with the culture.  "We focus on the resurrection as a sign of not only newness of life in this world but the ultimate triumph of eternal life over physical death."

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