Thomas Griffin 4/1/24
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Easter this year seemed to be very much a part of the national news. The president announced that transgenderism would be promoted on Easter in a message he gave on Good Friday, a slain NYPD officer was laid to rest on Holy Saturday, and Palestinian protests attempted to take over the celebration of Easter at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Even the White House Easter egg hunt was in the mix.
On Good Friday, President Joe Bident announced that March 31st is now Transgender Visibility Day. The president wrote the following in a statement on the day of Christ’s death: “By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility.” President Biden continued by noting: “I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.”
Officer Jonathan Diller was shot and killed on Monday of Holy Week this year. The career criminal that took his life at just 31 years old was arrested over 20 times before killing Diller. On Holy Saturday his funeral was held on Long Island. Thousands of police officers came to honor his sacrifice and pray with his family. The pain of his wife, Stephanie, was so real that it evoked the pain that Mary and the disciples must have felt. It brought the darkness of that day to life. The loss could be felt, not just imagined.
That evening, Easter was interrupted, literally speaking, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral during the Easter Vigil. Protesters stood up during one of the readings with a banner promoting the freedom of Palestine. Individuals could be heard shouting, “Free Palestine.” The banner had the message, “Silence = Death” on it. The individuals were removed from the middle of the sanctuary and later arrested for disrupting a religious service.
Then Easter Sunday came. The president first sent an image of Easter blessings on his social media accounts, noting: “As we gather with loved ones, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice. We pray for one another and cherish the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities.” It is true that we remember that Christ died and rose again. However, the Christian faith does not claim that the empty tomb provides “new possibilities.” The resurrection shows that Jesus is God and that death is not the end.
President Biden then sent this out on all media platforms: “I have a simple message for all trans Americans: I see you. You are made in the image of God, and you’re worthy of respect and dignity.” Yes, we should respect everyone. Respect is shown by living in the truth, even when that might be difficult. We know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) Abiding by the truth means that we abide by the objective nature that God created us with. “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).
Someone is loved and respected when we respect them in the truth. Here, we don’t just depend on Divine Revelation but biology, medicine and psychology as well. Reality points to the fact that sex is based on the truth of our bodies, not the feelings of our mind. While that is a difficult truth to proclaim today it is backed up by facts. That is the type of respect we most need today.
The Easter egg art contest at the White House was also stripped of any religious overtones this year. American Egg Board President and CEO Emily Metz added rules about the non-religious nature of the egg contest: Eggs “can’t be overtly religious, we just can’t be seen to be promoting one religion over the other…We have to be totally neutral in everything we do and have it just be focused on egg promotion and marketing activities.”
The problem with remaining “neutral” about religion on Easter is that it is literally a religious holiday. The entire celebration is about the fact that Jesus Christ is God and that he rose from the dead. It is not about bunnies and eggs and chocolates. To remove religion from the day is to make the day a lie.
Unfortunately, the Palestinian protestors, the alignment of Easter with gender dysphoria and the removal of religion from the Easter egg hunt have won over the news cycle in many ways this Easter. Mainstream media has sucked in so much of our attention that it can rob us of encountering Christ this Easter. These events can literally drive us crazy and enrage us. Truth and common sense seem to be at a loss in our country.
The guide for our response, I believe, is found in some of the words shared at Officer Diller’s funeral. The presider and homilist at the funeral was Fr. Michael Duffy. He stated the Easter message succinctly and powerfully: “Death is not the end.” Even in the tragedy and loss of a young man and hero, Christ’s empty tomb has the victory. God is triumphant over everything.
Edward Caban, the commissioner of the NYPD, beautifully referenced the “blue line” at several points during his remarks at the funeral. This is the phrase referencing the thousands upon thousands of officers from all over the country who stood outside the church during the Diller funeral. That blue line symbolizes the presence of love and support in a time of suffering. It shows us that there is goodness out there in the world. That blue line symbolizes hope in the midst of despair and light in the face of deep darkness.
Finally, the words of Officer Diller’s widow ring most true for us. “Love has no limits.” The world saw this at his funeral and we experience it in our relationships with others. Think of your best friend, spouse, child or parent. Think of the people you would do anything for. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Love transcends space and time. Love always wins (even when it appears like it doesn’t – like on Good Friday), because God is love (1 John 4:8).
While the news cycle might tempt us to give our attention to the craziness in our world, let us keep our eyes on the empty tomb – the reality that reveals that love has no limits and that Christ defeated evil and death. Believe, trust and know that he will transform our world too – even if the headlines don’t proclaim it.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and two sons. He has a masters degree in theology and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine.
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