The Slam

Summary: Oneshot. Axel wonders what Easter is really all about.

Rating: K

Genre: Spiritual/General

Easter was coming, and it showed. Axel realized as he walked through Hollow Bastion. Easter bunnies were popping up on lawns, people were hanging plastic eggs in trees, and some were even putting lights on their houses.

Man, this holiday is about to become a second Christmas. Axel thought in disdain as he kept walking.

A few moments later, though, a song playing nearby caught his attention.

Whoopsie-Daisy, call me crazy, whoopsie-daisy, come we gotta catch that

Fire, taking it from warm to hot,

Fire, gonna give it all we got

Fire, whoopsie-daisy, call me crazy, Whoopsie-daisy

Come we gotta catch that

Fire, fire…

Axel turned and saw that the sound was coming from outside a small church building. Curious, he crossed the street and went to check it out.

Outside the building, he could see a teenage girl affixing a plastic cross to one of the doors that faced the street. She had brown hair, blue eye, and was wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans. Hanging around her neck was a silver cross necklace, and the song Axel was hearing was coming from a boom box sitting against the doorway.

Axel stopped a few feet away from her and said, "I didn't think good Christian girls were allowed to listen to rap."

Surprised, the girl turned around. When she saw him, she turned the music off. "It's Christian Rap, so I think I'll be okay."

"What's your name?" Axel asked.

"Sarah," She replied.

"So what are you doing out here, Sarah?" Axel asked.

"I have to put up a few decorations, and I also changed that." Sarah pointed to the sign outside in front of the building. "Usually my dad changes the sign, but he's sick so I did it this time."

"He Lives!" Axel read the sign. "Getting ready for Easter, are we?"

"Yep." Sarah replied happily.

"What's the deal with Easter anyways? Everyone seems to celebrate that this weird rabbit brings kids eggs…and rabbits don't even lay eggs." Axel said. "What's the deal with that?"

Sarah shrugged. "I dunno…maybe the chicks hatching from eggs represent spring or something…I never really celebrated that part of Easter."

"Isn't it some kind of religious holiday?" Axel asked.

"As a matter of fact, it's a Christian holiday." Sarah replied. "It's when we celebrate Jesus' Resurrection."

Now Axel was confused. "Jesus' Resurrection?"

"How can I explain this?" Sarah thought it over for a moment, and then continued:

"About two thousand years ago, God sent his only Son, Jesus to Earth, an event we Christians celebrate as Christmas.

"Fast forward about thirty-three years. That's about how old Bible scholars assume Jesus was when he began his Earthly ministry. He healed the sick, cast out demons, gave sight back to the blind, turned water into wine.

"But the local authorities didn't like Jesus, so they began plotting a way to kill Him. Eventually they arrested Jesus, held a fake trial, and final got Jesus condemned to be crucified on a cross.

"That's the day we know as Good Friday. Technically it should be Good Thursday because Jesus spent three days in the tomb, but anyway…"

"No hold on a second." Axel interrupted. "If Good Friday is the day this Jesus guy died, why is it called Good Friday?"

"Because Jesus didn't come down off the cross." Sarah explained. "While Jesus was hanging on the cross, the religious leaders taunted Him by saying things like, 'If you're really God's Son, save yourself and come down off that cross.' At anytime, Jesus could have come down off the cross, but if he had, we would have no forgiveness for the wrong things we do. So it's Good Friday because Jesus didn't come down off the cross.

"So Jesus died, and was buried in a tomb. But three days later, when some of His friends went to visit the tomb, they found the stone that covered the entrance to the tomb rolled away, and that the tomb was empty. Later, they actually saw Jesus Himself, back from the dead.

"Jesus spent forty more days on Earth, and then He returned to Heaven, and is now sitting at the right hand of God. Someday he's coming back again to take those who trust in Him to Heaven." She finished.

"Where did you learn all that?" Axel asked.

"From the Bible." Sarah replied. "Do you have one?"

"Well…no."

"You don't? Wait here." Sarah vanished into the church building and returned a moment later with a black covered book, which she handed to Axel. "Take this one then."

Axel took the book, noticing as he did the words 'Holy Bible' written on the front in gold letters.

"What's your name?" Sarah asked.

"Axel," He replied.

"Well Axel, I'm gonna pray that God will work in your life, and help you find him." Sarah said.

"Thanks…I guess." Axel said. "Well, I gotta get going. It was nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too." Sarah answered.

As Axel started to walk away, one more thought occurred to him. "Hey, what was that fire song you playing earlier?"

"Catchafire, by tobyMac." Sarah said.

Axel nodded, and started to walk away.

Sarah turned her music back on, picked up a second plastic cross and started fastening it to the other door as the music started to play.

God's in the spot, you can like it or not…

Fin

T.A.R.N.S.: And there you have it, my Easter fic. I'm posting it today in case I don't get a chance tomorrow. Anyway,please R&R and tell me what you thought.

Happy Easter!