And it’s about the resurrection; the joy and new life found in Jesus (John 11:25). It’s about the sting of death being removed (1 Corinthians 15:55). And it’s about the beginning of all things being made new and the hope of life forever (Colossians 1:18-20).

So how might the true meaning of Easter shape the way that we live and speak in the workplace at this time of the year? How might we both declare with our lips and display with our lives to our colleagues what Easter is really all about? Here are six suggestions:

1. Host a hot cross bun morning tea

I love the smell of freshly baked, warm, buttered hot cross buns. And I love the taste of them even more! And I’m guessing many of your colleagues do too. So why not host a hot cross bun morning tea in the week leading up to Easter? As a small expression of grace and generosity, pay for and arrange for some freshly baked, warm, buttered hot cross buns to be delivered to your office around morning tea time.

And as your colleagues are enjoying them why not share briefly something about the significance of the cross on the bun and why it is so important to you. Or if that seems a bit too scary (or it’s too tricky to get many of your colleagues in the one place at the one time) why not deliver a warm hot cross bun to everyone’s desk with a little note attached explaining the personal importance to you of the cross on the bun.

2. Give out Easter eggs…with an extra ingredient

As well as hot cross buns, who doesn’t love the excuse to eat lots of chocolate at Easter! So as another small expression of grace and generosity, why not arrange a large Easter egg hamper for your office to enjoy throughout the day. Or similarly, organise a little Easter egg pack for each of your colleagues, or for them to take home to their children.

But to make the Easter eggs just that little bit more “tasty” add an extra ingredient. The history of the Easter egg is mixed and varied, but at least one explanation for them that Christians can embrace is that eggs speak of new life, the beginning of something new. So why not attach a small note to each Easter egg pack explaining how the very first Easter was the beginning of something new. That Jesus rose again, taking away the sting of death, bringing the hope of all the wrongs of this world being made right.

3. Make a sacrificial offer

At the heart of Easter is the sacrifice of Jesus in our place on the cross, taking on the burden of our sin. He lay down His life for us. In response, we are to do the same for others (1 John 3:16). Easter is the perfect time to do this in our workplaces, as we seek to demonstrate something of the costly sacrifice of Jesus.

Think about someone who has a burden in your office. Perhaps an overwhelming workload meaning that they won’t be able to rest over the Easter long weekend. Or maybe a colleague has made a mistake that they need to speak to your boss about and rectify. Why not offer to help your colleague by lifting some of their workload off them, and take on some of their work. Or volunteer to go to your boss with a colleague who’s made a mistake and help them rectify it. Find a way this Easter to make a costly sacrifice to lift a burden from your colleague and so demonstrate something of the true meaning of Easter.

4. Admit your mistakes

The key response to make in light of the cross is an admission of our guilt. In the words of the hymn, “It was my sin that held him there”.[1] Easter reminds us of the need to confess and admit our mistakes.

Perhaps this year you’ve had a difficult relationship with a colleague. Or maybe you’ve made a mistake which you haven’t owned up to. Make a point this Easter of admitting your errors and apologising to your colleagues. Not only is it the right thing to do in light of the cross, but it also demonstrates something of what is at the heart of Easter.

5. Run a workplace Easter reading group

Easter is a time of the year when people are sometimes more open to exploring spiritual things. While 50 years ago many Australians were familiar with the Easter story that has changed. In my experience, it’s not uncommon to find colleagues who don’t know what Easter is actually all about!

So why not take the opportunity to invite colleagues to explore the Easter story for themselves. One great idea that I’ve heard was someone who ran a workplace Easter reading group in their office at lunchtime. He personally invited a dozen colleagues to join him in reading some of the “historical accounts” of the first Easter, namely the Gospels. It proved to be a popular little event, as people read the Easter story for the first time.

6. Invite others to discover more about Easter

If reading through the Gospels with colleagues sounds too daunting, why not invite them to a local church service instead. As mentioned, Easter is one of those times of the year when people are sometimes a little bit more open to exploring spiritual things. So take advantage of this and invite a colleague to a Good Friday or Easter service so that they can hear for themselves what Easter is all about; the burden of guilt and sin being lifted from them and onto Jesus, and the new joy, life and hope that is found in Him.

Happy Easter!

Andrew Laird is the director of Life@Work, an initiative of the Melbourne City Bible Forum, which aims to help Christians think through how their faith connects with their work.

[1] Stuart Townend, ‘How deep the Father’s love for us’, 1995.
Image credit: Poppet with a camera via Flickr