Celebrating Easter Published April 5, 2007 By Chaplain (Capt.) Craig Abee 315th AW/HC Charleston Air Force Base -- Have you ever considered that the phrase "the glory of the cross" sounds an awful lot like an oxymoron? Oxymorons are phrases we use all the time. Some examples of these combinations of opposites include - jumbo shrimp, living dead, or constant change just to name a few. How is it that we can combine the word "cross," a method of torture and death so cruel the Romans themselves banned it, and "glory" in the same phrase? How is it that we can combine the glory of Easter and the cross of Good Friday (an oxymoron in it self, given what we believe happened that Friday)? How is it that this object of torture has been gold or silver plated and become so treasured by so many? We add diamonds and otherwise beautify what was an ugly way to die. For Christians, the truth is, there can be no glory without the cross. There can be no life without death. There can be no Easter without Good Friday. With the commercialism of our culture, it is very easy for us to loose the truth of Easter in colored eggs and chocolate bunnies. However, this Easter may we take pause or take in a service of worship, to fully understand how "the glory of the cross" is so awfully good. Something extra How many oxymorons can you find? "When a flight gets the go ahead to back up from the ground personnel at the front end of the plane, it will be oddly appropriate that things will be constantly changing through out the flight. While the plane is still moving, sometimes through gentle turbulence, it is good to have the extra ordinary fail safe of auto pilot, so that there is a 100% chance of decreasing pilot fatigue. This keeps them alert so that advanced beginner pilots can avoid crash landing."