Easter: Enjoy the Journey
By Rev. David Howard
A Memory That Still Speaks
Today, as I reflect on Easter, I am reminded of a photograph of my mother, my sister, and me, taken on Easter morning when I was about three years old.
My mother is dressed in a yellow dress, an Easter bonnet, and high heels—something quite unusual for her. My sister is in ruffles, socks, and patent leather shoes. And I am dressed in white shorts, a jacket and tie, knee socks, and black loafers. I’m quite sure I enjoyed getting dressed up, even then.
Easter was the most important Sunday of the year. Everyone wore their finest clothes—often newly purchased for the occasion. After church, we gathered for a special home-cooked meal, usually pot roast with all the sides, and my favorite: homemade biscuits.
While I don’t remember that specific day in detail, I remember the feeling—family, laughter, and love. At least, that’s what I choose to remember.
From Belief to Awakening
As I look at that photo now, I am also reminded of how early my religious conditioning began—particularly around the doctrine of substitutionary atonement.
Until my late twenties, I didn’t know there was another way to understand the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It seemed simple: believe and be saved, or don’t believe and be condemned.
Then everything began to shift.
When I was introduced to A Course in Miracles and later to Unity and New Thought teachings, I discovered an entirely different perspective—one that didn’t rely on fear, but invited awakening.
“I was amazed to find an entire spiritual movement that viewed Jesus—and spirituality itself—through a very different lens.”
At first, I was shocked. I half-expected something to go terribly wrong for even entertaining these ideas. But instead, something within me said, yes.
I had found a spiritual home.
Reconsidering Easter
And then came Easter again.
I found myself asking:
If we don’t subscribe to the theology of blood sacrifice, why does Easter still matter so much? Why all the celebration?
It took time—study, prayer, and reflection—but eventually, a deeper understanding emerged.
Now, as a Unity minister, I not only appreciate Easter—I look forward to it.
Jesus as Way-Shower
In Unity, Jesus is not seen as an exception, but as an example—a way-shower. His life reveals what is possible for each of us.
Easter is not about a one-time historical event. It is about an ongoing inner experience—the journey of awakening into our divine nature.
As Charles Fillmore reminds us:
“His way of attainment must be our way… This calls for nothing less on our part than a definite recognition of ourselves as sons of God, right here and now, regardless of appearances to the contrary.”
The Inner Journey of Transformation
When I reflect on the life of Jesus, I see a pattern—one that mirrors our own spiritual journey:
A willingness to release the familiar and step into the unknown
An acceptance of our identity as expressions of the Divine
A commitment to facing and integrating all aspects of ourselves
A surrender of personal will into alignment with divine will
A release of attachments and limiting beliefs
An awakening to our true spiritual nature
A realization of eternal life as our identity in God
“These are not one-time events, but ongoing movements within us—cycles of awakening that deepen over time.”
This path is not linear. It is lived, revisited, and embodied again and again.
Easter as a Living Experience
Easter is not something that happened once.
It is something that is happening now.
Each moment invites us to release what no longer serves, to awaken to Truth, and to embody the Christ presence within.
“Easter is not just a destination. It is a way of being.”
Enjoy the Journey
Our journey is uniquely our own, yet the invitation is shared.
To awaken.
To embody.
To rise.
And so, this Easter—and every day—may we remember:
We are not waiting for resurrection.
We are living it.
Enjoy the journey.
