2015, to date, has been a difficult and violent year for the world, to say the least. Perhaps more than ever, we need the realization, in the midst of all the tragedy that surrounds us, that the battle is already won — Christ is the victor over sin and death. A simple little Easter story can remind us of this.

Like all good stories, it can begin with the phrase “once upon a time:” Once upon a time, there was a man named Simon of Cyrene who was a good and just man. He was visiting Jerusalem and was getting ready to celebrate the Passover of the Lord.

Well, Simon went to the market in the middle of the city to get provisions for the great feast. He picked up all the necessities for Passover including eggs. The eggs he bought were big, beautiful fresh brown eggs that could feed a whole family.

As Simon went about his business, he noticed a ruckus. There was a large cohort of Roman centurions, followed by a group of Jewish people, made up of Pharisees, Saduccees and curious people. In the middle of the crowd, a curious sight: another Jew, a gentle man, one who looked like innocence itself. This man with kind eyes was bloodied, every inch of his flesh covered in deep gashes and wounds. This man, whom Simon learned was named Jesus, was from Nazareth and he was going to be crucified. He was a political insurrectionist, someone whom a large number of people thought might be the Messiah, the King of the Jews.

He could barely move and still was forced to bear the weight of his instrument of execution. Simon was mesmerized by the sight, but wanted to look the other way, to get away from the whole ugly spectacle.

As Simon was trying to leave, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. It was a Roman centurion and he told Simon that he was recruited to help this Jesus, a convicted criminal, carry the cross.

Simon had to help this man carry the cross. He felt the eyes of all the crowd looking at him, walking alongside the criminal Jesus. But he looked into those gentle eyes of Jesus and knew that there was something special about this man. He knew he was innocent, and as they struggled along under the weight of the wood, Jesus told him his story and the Good News that he came to bring.

As they came to the horrible hill, Golgotha, Simon was pushed away from Jesus, but he didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay by the side of the man he realized was the Messiah. Simon grew despondent, but Jesus looked at him and told him, don’t worry, it’s all going to work out. In three days, he should go back to the place that they met and Jesus would leave him a sign.

Simon left sad and broken and went home. Three days later, on Sunday morning, he realized that he left his bags in the city center. He ran to the place where he was recruited into service and he saw his food untouched. In the bag were his eggs, no longer brown and rough, but beautifully arrayed with all the colors of the rainbow – the sign of the Covenant that God had made with Noah all those years ago. Simon knew that his new friend, Jesus, was all right and that everything was going to work out. Later that day, he heard stories from some friends that Jesus’ tomb was empty and that others were saying that they saw him walking along the road to Emmaus.

The coloring of Easter eggs is something spiritual after all: a sign of new life, the new Covenant sealed in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Rejoice in the love that Christ has for each and every one of us – a love so great it transcends time and eternity, a love which conquers pain, sin and even death.