Chocolates and the meaning of life

By Dave Simpson, Station Manager Cross Rhythms Plymouth

Allegedly we’re approaching spring time although it doesn’t seem like anyone has told the weather! As I write this March is well under way but the temperatures are still as cold as midwinter.

It feels somewhat ironic as my last article reflected on the significant changes that take place in Spring. Perhaps it is much warmer and more seasonal as you are reading this.

One of the major markers of Spring time is the long Easter weekend. For those in school this is accompanied by the Easter school holidays and for almost all of us we enjoy more than our fill of chocolates. Chocolate and Easter are synonymous in our culture. As my daughter grows older we especially love doing an Easter egg hunt with her. Placing the eggs for her to excitedly discover later is a real joy of parenting. Informing her that she can’t eat them all at once is somewhat less enjoyable for all involved.

My daughter is three years old so as you can imagine we don’t try to hide the small Easter eggs in especially difficult places. Most are obvious and are found in a matter of moments but, as I’m sure is the case for many of you, we still manage to find some months later.

My daughter actually managed to find one when we were out in Central Park around late Spring last year.

She had been happily playing in some grass when she turned to me and said ‘Daddy, I found an egg’. I didn’t believe her as she had been saying this line almost on repeat since her own Easter egg hunt.

Although this time she had really found one laid by a rock. Though it was wrapped well in foil, this being a number of weeks after Easter itself, I wasn’t going to let her eat it. A decision which didn’t go down too well with her.

No one else had unearthed this treasure but because my daughter was expecting to find Easter eggs around every corner she somehow managed to find it.

In our daily lives we all too easily lose

sight of what is out there to be found.

If we’re honest with ourselves I think in some way or another we’re all searching.

Not necessarily searching for Easter eggs but searching for purpose, for our identity and value, for real tangible meaning in our lives.

In my personal search for these things Easter means a great deal.

The message of the Easter tradition is that of God coming to Earth as the person of Jesus Christ and dying the death of a criminal on a cross and 3 days later being resurrected back to life.

This article doesn’t afford me the word count to fully elaborate on the significance of all of that. You will have to do some searching of your own!

What I will say though is that in my experience this is more than a story. I believe it. I believe that God created me, loves me and took all my brokenness, pain, mistakes and frailty on the cross so that I may know and be fully known by God. I believe He was raised to life three days later to prove I have a hope of life beyond death as well.

I believe all of this is true for you too. The message of Easter isn’t merely a story to hold on to but an invitation to walk with God every day.

To live a meaningful life with Him in which, if you’ll let Him, he will transform, heal and change you. He’ll enable you to love yourself and those around you well. As I have searched this is what I know I have found.

Now by all means, please disagree with me as much as you like. That is the beauty of the freedom we enjoy.

However, even if you disagree I would encourage you to go searching yourself. Just like my daughter in the park, you never know what you might find. Only this time it would be safe to try.

Listen to Cross Rhythms Plymouth on 96.3FM or online at the new Cross Rhythms Plymouth website at www. crossrhythms.co.uk/plymouth