Chocolate Jesus?

There's been quite the storm in the US over an artist's chocolate depiction of Jesus being crucified. The outrage has caused the gallery to pull the plug. Without getting into the rights and wrongs of representations of Christ, it is an interesting reminder at this stage of the year as we 'celebrate' Easter. It's Easter so that means eggs -right? is an attempt at an amusing look at what to do with leftover Easter egg in the Guardian's special section on chocolate, which says more about living in post-Christendom than the meaning of Easter. Easter eggs are everywhere, I have been indulging in my weakness for creme eggs but Easter is about so much more than chocolate, than consuming. At Easter as we reflect on death and resurrection, maybe Chocolate Jesus (the sculpture or the Tom Waits song) has much to say to us as we consider what we have been replacing Jesus with and what must die in order for new life to rise. Those earth shattering (literally) few days in remote outpost of the mighty Roman Empire, including the ripping of a curtain symbolising the end of a series of rites and restricted access to God, and opening up access to the creator to all of us require reflection and celebration. Celebration of not just the death of Jesus (which evangelicals can obsess over) but also the resurrection - the new life on offer from God (although going on lots of Christians, especially the Phelps family/cult in Louis Theroux's latest programme you wouldn't know much about the life to the full), and about this wonder of God inviting mere mortals into the 'dance of the trinity'. On this Easter Sunday we have so much more to enjoy than just chocolate, and much more than just the death of Jesus. Thanks to Zoomtard and Jaybercrow for some thought provoking comments on Easter, suffering, the Phelps and a magnificent quote from MLK.

I leave you (trembling with holy awe, and caffeine - which may explain the disjointedness of this post) with quotes from the two Anglican Archbishops in England:

"Give up the struggle to be innocent and the hope that God will proclaim that you were right and everyone else wrong. Simply ask for whatever healing it is that you need, whatever grace and hope you need to be free, then step towards your neighbour.

Easter reveals a God who is ready to give you that grace and to walk with you."

"There are those who might wish that we were a little quieter in our celebrations or were a little less public in our joy. The problem with such a request is that it ignores the fact that in the resurrection of Christ, God is speaking to the world, and when God speaks you can’t ignore Him."
(Archbishop John Sentamu)