Carpé This

A few observations.

Observation one: I fly fish for trout. In doing so, I have noticed more and more fisherman (mostly novices) using the Latin names for the insects upon which the trout are feeding. Instead of saying “They’re feeding on little yellow bugs,” they will utter, “Looks like a #16 Ephemerella dorothea.” Now since fly fisherpeople tend to be somewhat purist and elitist, I have come to expect a certain level of snobbery. But this one is making my waders chafe.

Observation two: I am a pastor. I have noticed more and more pastors (mostly novices) using the Latin names for the Sundays of the church year. Instead of saying “Today is the second Sunday of Easter,” they will pontificate “This is Quasimodo Geniti.” I still remember a good bit of Latin. But I remember more literature. And I remember Quasimodo. He was a hunchback. I don’t care to think about his geniti.

Observation three: Most trout in Minnesota streams, like most Lutherans in Minnesota pews, don’t speak Latin.

Reputo super is.

Easter Eggs

With the rise of the virtual generation, the term “Easter egg” has taken on new meaning. A virtual Easter egg is an intentional hidden message, in-joke or feature in an object such as a movie, book, CD, DVD, computer program, web page or video game. If you use a Windows operating system, you can see an example of this by opening your Solitaire game and hitting the alt, shift and number 2 keys at the same time.

For a whole host of other examples, see this

We can trace “Easter Eggs” in computer games back to the 1970’s. But I think the idea goes back much farther than that. I believe the Easter Story itself contains hidden Easter eggs.

I think the folded cloth was one—I am not talking about something so trite as the current spam email going around. But I do believe there is a hidden message for those willing to step into the empty tomb and examine it. It certainly had some effect on John.

I believe the falling-down-dead guards are another. I am not sure of the full meaning, but in that scene we have a Guy who is supposed to be dead up walking around and two guys who are supposed to be alive acting like they are dead.

I believe the determined women are another. We have 3 women heading out to anoint the dead body of Jesus. On the way, the remember the big rock and know they will not be able to move it. And they keep going. If this had been 3 men, they would have headed back to town, found a group of the strongest men they could find (in the absence of a good 4 wheel drive Dodge) and then headed to tomb with pulleys and pry bars. But the women just kept going. What is hidden in that fact?

I know there are others—the sign over Jesus’ head, the wine-soaked sponge, the gambled clothes, and others.

Maybe I will have a different kind of Easter Egg hunt this year.