As I reflect on my childhood and the meaning of Easter, I’m reminded of a time when the holiday was centered on faith, family, and community. Easter weekend has always symbolized renewal, spiritual reflection, and a sense of togetherness. In our urban neighborhoods, it was a time to pause and recognize something greater than ourselves.
I still remember attending Easter
service with my grandmother. All the children, myself included, had to memorize
and recite a Bible verse. I practiced mine all week, nervous but proud when I
finally stood before the congregation. After church, there was a big family
dinner, followed by a kiddie disco where we danced and laughed well into the
evening. Those moments were full of joy, discipline, and tradition.
But now, that sacred energy feels like
it’s fading. Just the other day, as I drove down Eight Mile Road, I passed
several marijuana dispensaries with long lines wrapped around the block. It hit
me how much things have changed. Instead of honoring the resurrection of
Christ, what I saw was a culture leaning into something else entirely.
Increasingly, Easter weekend has been
overshadowed by chaos—gun violence, unruly block parties, and the widespread
celebration of 4/20, a date that seems to glorify drug use rather than promote
any higher reflection. What used to be a time of spiritual renewal is now
marred by a culture that celebrates escapism and moral drift. The contrast
couldn’t be starker.
It’s almost poetic in its irony—and
tragic in its reality—that a weekend rooted in resurrection and redemption is
now marred by shootings and lawlessness. In far too many neighborhoods, the
sounds of children hunting for Easter eggs are drowned out by the echo of
gunshots. Families that used to gather for church now gather to mourn, or
worse, duck for cover.
Layered on top of Easter, the
celebration of 4/20 further complicates this moral erosion. Once a fringe
observance of cannabis culture, it has now gone mainstream. But what are we
really celebrating? In communities already struggling with substance abuse,
mental health crises, and under-resourced schools, the elevation of 4/20 as a
cultural holiday sends a dangerous message. It normalizes escape over
accountability, numbness over healing.
The duality of Easter and 4/20 playing
out in the same weekend shows just how far the moral compass has shifted in
many urban areas. Where faith, family, and discipline once anchored community
life, we're now seeing a rise in fatalistic thinking—where crime is inevitable,
where respect is earned through fear, and where the sacred is drowned in smoke
and sirens.
This isn’t just about religion or
weed. It’s about what we value, what we teach, and what we tolerate. It's about
the erosion of boundaries, the celebration of self-destruction, and the silence
from leaders—both civic and spiritual—who’ve grown too comfortable with the
chaos.
If we want real change, we have to
reclaim the calendar. We have to make Easter about more than outfits and
Facebook photos. We have to stop pretending that 4/20 is harmless fun when it's
fueling a cultural numbness that’s costing lives. And most importantly, we have
to fight for the soul of our communities—not just in the courtroom or the
classroom, but in our homes, our churches, and our streets.
Because if we don’t, the only thing
rising on Easter weekend in urban America will be the crime rate.
Comments