A Real Reason To Celebrate



So today was the "Tomb Sweeping Holiday". Wikipedia's definition: "The Qingming Festival is an opportunity for celebrants to remember and honour their ancestors at grave sites. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, joss paper accessories, and/or libations to the ancestors. The rites have a long tradition in Asia, especially among farmers. Some people carry willow branches with them on Qingming, or put willow branches on their gates and/or front doors. They believe that willow branches help ward off the evil spirit that wanders on Qingming.On Qingming people go on family outings, start the spring plowing, sing, dance. Qingming is also the time when young couples start courting. Another popular thing to do is to fly kites in the shapes of animals or characters from Chinese opera.[5] Another common practice is to carry flowers instead of burning paper, incense or firecrackers." Here is an interesting article from msnbc that my friend Lisa found: I pad2 sold out in the afterlife

Everyone enjoys the day off of work, and on a beautiful day like today it is wonderful to be outside and enjoy some of the more fun aspects of the day like flying a kite. However, I can't help but be a little sad when I notice the families burning money or food to their ancestors. It is a reminder to me of the darkness in the world where I live. Most of these people have no knowledge of the one who already died in their place and rose again. The most important tomb in the world is empty. Death has been swallowed up in victory. How ironic that this celebration falls in the same month that we will meet to celebrate the empty tomb. How I wish I could shout that news for all to hear. There is no need to continually offer sacrifices, for He was the sacrifice once and for all. His tomb stands empty as a testament to the solid hope of the resurrection for us all. Hebrews 10, "But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year.....But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God" I Cor 15, "But now is Christ risen from the dead.....O death where is your sting, o grave where is your victory"

Comments

  1. knfty knitterApril 6, 2011 at 3:16 AM

    hope your husband and friends didn't disturb any ancestors while they were exploring the caves in the mountain yesterday!!!

    Cindy B

    ReplyDelete

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