Easter Eggs

Easter Eggs

We’ve experienced them in movies, TV, books, theater and even music. The cameos by Alfred Hitchcock and Stan Lee in their films. George Lazenby reprising his role as James Bond in a scene from The Return of The Man from Uncle, (1983). Actors like Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and George Clooney showing up in everything from small independent films to blockbusters as a favor or just for fun. Gene Hackman playing the blind hermit in Young Frankenstein (1974) for scale, at the time about $650.00. Even Sir Laurence Olivier was resurrected for a role as the mystery scientist for the film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. (2004) The list goes on and on.

            You also see crazy movie credits as well. Famous people who didn’t appear in a movie, unusual names for cast members like “unluck bastard” and “woman on the cutting room floor” or simply quoting an extra’s only line in the film. There’s the famous “Things to do after the film” list from Hot Shots (1991) and the dinner menu from Wrongfully Accused (1988). Sometimes people mention their pets, make up jobs on a film or comeback with a final scene like the end of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) where the title character says “Are you still here? Go home.” We love our Easter eggs.

            But Easter eggs are not a recent development. In fact, they have been around since the beginning of time, designed into our universe. How do I know? It is all around us in nature. Just this week we observed the alignment of planets and a blood moon on our side of the planet. Alignment of three planets happens every year. Five planets align every couple of years, six planets, every 10-20 years but alignment of all seven planets only happens every 100-200 years. This year, six planets lined up near the waxing moon and it was a delight. That won’t happen again until 2040. It’s amazing that it happens at all considering that all of the planets have orbits of varying length and speed.

            Blood moons or lunar eclipses, happen every 1-3 years and solar eclipses happen annually but happen on different places across the planet. A few years ago, we experienced one in the US and it was huge deal. Cities and towns along the path of totality geared up for the influx of tourists, all for an event that lasted less than five minutes. I met a couple recently who had traveled to see every solar eclipse for the past 20 years.

            And that’s just the universe.

            In nature, there are all sorts of Easter eggs, some fascinating, some magical and some downright grim. Nutmeg, for instance, is a wonderful spice, but eat too much of it and it causes psychosis. Owls can turn their heads 270 degrees. Stones on the dried lakebed in Death Valley travel hundreds of feet seemingly on their own. There is an explanation, but to see the trails they leave is just a kick. From the fairy circles in the Namibian desert to the northern lights, the world is full of natural wonders, but for some reason, we don’t see them.

            I live in a state with some incredible natural wonders as well as both animal and plant species that you can’t find anywhere else. There is wonder all around us, but we have to take the time to look at it or at times, look for it. To view the blood moon, you had to be up at 3:00 AM local time and to see most of the celestial phenomena, I have to get away from the city lights, about 20 miles, but it’s worth it. Every day we were on the road throughout the northern US in 2024 I checked to see if the Aurora Borealis would be visible where we were visiting.

            What wonders that God has created are you missing? What Easter eggs left behind from the moment of creation are you missing out on? What incredible things have you been seeing all your life that you have lost touch with? When we lose touch with the wonders of this world, this universe, it becomes easier to lose touch with God. We become complacent and take for granted a simple sunrise, the twinkling stars or the endless ocean. If we are not curious, if we do not stand in awe of nature, of God’s creation, how can we stand before God as one of his children? How can we truly appreciate the Father’s love and all he has done for us?

            If you know God and spend time with him, get to know His creation a little better. Re-discover the things you first found wonderous in your life and find new things to humble you and to marvel about. Take the time to stay up late or get up early to experience His universe. If you can, travel to see and experience some of these amazing things. If you do not know God, get to know Him through His creation. Knowing and appreciating creation brings you closer to God and becoming closer to God brings you into His presence, mercy and grace.