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In these special days leading up to Easter, I’ve been struck by a blog post by US Christian apologist and evangelist, Josh McDowell.

Josh has written over 150 books, and they’re still selling well. One that many parents have found particularly useful is Straight Talk with Your Kids about Sex.   

And here is what he said on his blog (edited):

I don’t know why the Easter Bunny gets so much press at Easter.

I’m pretty sure he’s not real.🙂                      

Okay, I’m kidding! But I do want to make this point: Easter isn’t about chocolate and coloured egg hunts.

Easter, friends, is about the personal, life-changing relationship God wants to have with each of us. No chocolate treat that you and I can receive or give this Easter has a smidgen of the sweetness of that amazing gift.

You may not know this about me, but I once totally doubted God and the truthfulness of Christ’s deity. In fact, right after college, I set out to prove that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of distorted and unreliable records of historical and mythical events. Simply put, if I could prove that the Bible wasn’t a reliable document of history, then I could show that everything it says about God and the Christian faith is in question.

I really wanted to do that. Because God’s existence did not fit with how I saw the world. Having absolutely no doubts that my worldview was correct, I assumed that discrediting God and the Bible was going to be delightfully easy. So I travelled all over Europe, seeking out historical manuscripts and knowledgeable scholars to not only validate my view — but to do so beyond any shadow of doubt.

Here’s the egg-on-my-face: eventually I had to admit that the evidence for Christ being exactly who He said He is, was overwhelming. I couldn’t deny or ignore it. I had to adjust my worldview to align with this truth.

I fully get that each of us views life through the lens of our personally constructed worldview. Some of us acquire our perspective through secular influences such as Darwinism, Postmodernism, or even Enlightenment philosophy. Some of us simply accept as truth whatever we’re taught by our parents, friends or educators (not to mention social media)!

But I will say, boldly, that a true worldview explains the world as it actually is. Not as we choose to see it.

A delightful young man I met at a conference is attached to the idea that “God” is simply a massive energy force. So a “personal” relationship, he insists, is neither possible nor intended.

Hmmm… I’ll agree that God is supernatural energy. But impersonal? No way. An “energy force” can’t compare to the very personal, hands-on God I’ve come to know over the last 50 years.

My friend can’t yet see the value of Jesus’ sacrifice, nor the sweet joy we Christians have because of Jesus’ resurrection. So I asked him to do me a favour: to at least question the validity of his worldview. 

“Who knows,” he conceded, as we warmly shook hands in parting. “I might change my mind one day. In part because you were willing to discuss this so amicably with me.”

The resurrection story is the most amazing story ever. But if we don’t share the Good News with an attitude of love and respect and grace — we lose the opportunity to have influence. This Easter, let’s model the sweetness of Jesus!

Wise words. And they apply equally well to our dealings with civic leaders like MPs. No matter how upset we feel about their actions, we need to remember: “love, respect and grace”.

Peter Downie - National Director

FamilyVoice Australia