In a Society Where Resurrection is 'Hard to Talk About'—Easter and the Resurrectionists in Japan
*This article does not make definitive claims about any specific denomination or faith. Based on comments received from readers, this is an attempt to consider the relationship between Easter and the Resurrectionists in Japan. Please read this with respect for the freedom of religion, thought, and conscience.
1. Introduction
Easter (Resurrection Sunday) can be understood as the most important festival in Christianity for commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christian faith, it is often given more weight than Christmas (the Nativity), and it can be considered to occupy a position that is truly the center of the church calendar.
The time when this festival is held is generally said to be 'the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox.' Because of this, it is a movable feast whose date changes every year depending on the calendar, and in Japan, it is customary for it to be held roughly between late March and late April. This festival, celebrated with the arrival of spring, is also deeply connected to the seasonal feeling of the budding of new life.
From a theological perspective, it is possible to view Easter as more than just a commemoration of a historical event. It is a day to celebrate the decisive event where Christ overcame the powers of sin and death through his death on the cross, and where God raised Jesus from the dead. This reversal of 'from death to life' makes the core of Christianity visible, and for those who believe, it can be considered the greatest basis for salvation and hope.
2. How do the Resurrectionists view Easter?
What meaning does the festival of Easter hold for the 'Resurrectionists,' who seek to place the event of Christ's resurrection at the foundation of their faith? A question arises here. It is how those who seek to always keep the resurrection of Christ at the center interpret and position the specific commemorative day of 'Easter.'
If we stand from the perspective of the Resurrectionists, perhaps an understanding can be established that 'the Resurrectionists live while always being conscious of the spirit of Easter.' The resurrection can be seen as a miracle that occurred at a point in the past, and at the same time, it can be considered a dynamic power that continues to give strength to people in this very moment. Therefore, rather than viewing Easter in a limited way as just a 'special event once a year,' they may be emphasizing a way of being that continuously looks at the event of the resurrection even in daily life.
This attitude does not mean that they disregard the festival of Easter at all. On the contrary, it seems to be an expression of an understanding that seeks to expand the great meaning contained in the annual festival into daily life, without confining it to a specific day.
3. A perspective that the center of the New Testament lies in the resurrection
The background to why this position of the Resurrectionists can be considered to be established as a legitimate form of faith, rather than just a unique interpretation, lies in the characteristics of the New Testament itself. When looking at the New Testament as a whole, there is a sense that almost all of its descriptions converge on the faith of 'Christ's resurrection,' or start from there.
If we were to trace its content specifically, first, it feels as if all the episodes in the four Gospels are written toward the climax of the 'resurrection' that comes after the crucifixion. The subsequent Acts of the Apostles opens with the powerful testimony that the disciples met the risen Lord, and it depicts how the resurrection faith was the driving force supporting the spread of the early church. Furthermore, in the Pauline epistles, which occupy a large part of the New Testament, the resurrection is positioned not just as a part of doctrine, but as an immovable foundation that supports the faith.
Also, this structure of the Bible is deeply connected to the old church tradition of worship on the 'Lord's Day' (Sunday). Originally, in Christianity, every Sunday can be considered to have been positioned as the day Christ rose from the dead, as a 'small Easter that visits every week.' The historical process of shifting from the former Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday worship can be considered an expression of the will to constantly commemorate Christ's resurrection within the cycle of daily life.
In this sense, I believe the idea that 'the central theme of the New Testament lies in the resurrection of Christ' is by no means an extreme view belonging to a minority. What the Resurrectionists are emphasizing is not adding some new doctrine, but rather an attempt to value and convey the center of gravity that the Bible originally possesses and the fundamental traditions of the church, even in modern Japan.
4. The 'absence of Easter' in Japan
On the other hand, when we turn our eyes to the reality of Japan where we live, we can see a significant and important cultural difference in the reception of Christian culture.
First, while Christmas in December has become widely established as a national event that transcends religious boundaries, the recognition of Easter in April, although opportunities to feature it commercially have been increasing in recent years, is still considered to be low. It seems that the current situation is that the number of people who actually visit churches and experience Easter through liturgy and worship is small compared to Christmas.
Thus, in Japan, it can be seen that the seasonal sense based on the church calendar, such as 'December is Christmas, April is Easter,' which is seen in Western countries, is hardly shared by society as a whole. As a result, it can be said that it is a social structure where the concept of 'resurrection,' which is considered the most important message in Christianity, and that faith itself are very difficult to see in daily life. The fact that Easter has not taken root as a culture can also be considered one of the barriers to the message of hope of 'resurrection' reaching society.
5. That is precisely why the way of 'always trying to be conscious of Easter' exists
Given such an environment unique to Japan, the attitude of the Resurrectionists of 'always trying to be conscious of resurrection faith' seems to be able to hold a meaning that goes beyond mere religious zeal.
In Japanese society, the festival of Easter remains localized and limited, and the reality is that the general public has few opportunities to encounter the concept of 'resurrection' throughout the year. That is precisely why the Resurrectionists, as if to fill that void, intentionally continue to speak of resurrection in their daily lives. In other words, it is possible to view the way of the Resurrectionists as an existence that is trying to 'expand' the meaning of that celebration, both temporally and spatially, in a society where the spirit of Easter is not sufficiently shared.
In a sense, the sight of them preaching the significance of the resurrection even during the time when the world is wrapped in a Christmas mood might give those around them a sense of discomfort, as if to ask, 'Why are you talking about that now?' However, in the spiritual soil of Japan, it seems there is a reality where the resurrection, which should be the core of Christianity, is simply 'not talked about enough.' Therefore, one could think that the Resurrectionists have chosen to continue speaking of resurrection faith as the core of their belief, without intentionally choosing the time or limiting themselves to the framework of a specific festival.
6. Conclusion
Summarizing what has been discussed so far, the understanding of the existence of the Resurrectionists might be expressed in the following words: 'The Resurrectionists are those who, without choosing a specific time, always try to convey the faith of the resurrection like a small "Easter."
I believe this way of being is by no means intended to slight or deny the traditional annual festival. Rather, it can be thought of as an attempt to release the great meaning condensed within that festival into peaceful daily life and let it permeate, rather than trying to limit it to one special day.
In other words, it is precisely because there are few opportunities to encounter the message of hope that is the resurrection in Japanese society that the Resurrectionists are considered to be striving to convey the faith of the resurrection. It seems to be nothing less than an attitude of continuing to speak directly about the center that lies at the root of the Christian faith.