Family traditions: resurrection fish
Life... a delicate collection of traditions, norms, and beliefs. As the sun rises on Easter Sunday, I’m reminded of one of my newest favorite traditions. Fish on resurrection day.
Our “resurrection fish,” as we affectionately call it, is a tradition born out of curiosity, biblical curiosity about the story of the ultimate sacrifice. One Saturday a few years ago, my soon-to-be husband and I were planning our Easter meal.
“Let’s eat what Jesus ate,” he suggested.
I paused, giggled, and sarcastically asked, “What did Jesus eat?” He replied without a smile or a pause, “Fish.”
Now I’m not a biblical scholar, preacher’s kid, or active member of any church, so I laughed it off. He went on to say he didn’t know where in the Bible the information about Jesus' fish dinner was. Still, he was sure that, somewhere in his childhood, he had recalled our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ having fish with the disciples after his resurrection. So I did what any modern-day seeker of information would do: I consulted Google. And there it was in the book of Luke.
The disciples were in a state of grief compounded by disbelief in what their eyes were gazing upon. And Jesus told them, “It is I.” After instructing them to look at his hands and feet, both of which were still holed because of the crucifixion, the book says, “And while they still did not believe it because of the joy and amazement, he asked them, 'Do you have anything to eat?’
Then right there in verses 42-43 it says, “They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.”
In all of my years, which include former church memberships, fellowships, and working closely with ministries, I had never heard what happened after Jesus ascended from the cave. I never learned that even the disciples were skeptical of Jesus’ return. I certainly never knew that Jesus had a snack before his final ascension into the heavens, which is the part of the story we learn.
So every Easter since then, we have fish. Baked, broiled, roasted, smoked, or grilled and paired with bread and assorted veggies. We keep it simple, and it helps us stay grounded in simplicity and the things that matter.
While I do not subscribe to any doctrine other than treating people well, I love the idea of Jesus.
The idea of a purpose-driven life. A life that means something, a life that does more sowing than reaping. That is how I view Jesus, a radical revolutionary on a divine assignment. That is the core of the story, and that is what I hold on to. That is my spiritual tradition.
