Happy Pesach!

Warning: Pensive and educational post ahead. Dedicated with much admiration to my friend Mark and his mother, Fran.

The Passover Seder Plate

Tonight is the first night of the Jewish holiday Passover, or Pesach.
I did a post about Passover Seminary Style last fall, you can read it here.

It is always interesting to me that the Jewish holiday Passover which celebrates the destroying angel of God 'passing' over the homes of the obedient children of Israel and delivering them from bondage, is always at the same time as the Christian world celebrates Easter. For me, Easter is obviously about the single greatest act of love ever, the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But because of this great act of love, we can be 'passed over' by the destroying angels of the adversary and also be delivered from the bondage of sin. I am sure that I am not the first to have this personal revelation that the Christian and the Jewish world are not that far apart.

Passover is rich in 3,000 year old tradition. In fact, in the book of Exodus it is noted that the Jews are commanded to remember these events for all time. It is the holiday where family and friends gather around the seder table to celebrate. Pesach celebrates not only their freedom from Pharoah and slavery to him, but it also celebrates the privilege of worshiping freely and having spiritual freedom, which is something we all can appreciate and celebrate.

The Festival of Pesach highlights the observance of the Seder, a unique ceremony performed on the first two evenings of Passover. At the Seder meal, people eat different special foods, and tell the story of departure from Egypt, sing songs and praises, and say special prayers. Children as well as adults participate and it is truly a 'family' time, a time of remembrance, of thanks, of happiness.

One of the most significant observances related to Passover is the removal of chametz (leaven) from the homes of the Jews. This signifies the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. Also a symbolic way of removing the "puffiness" (arrogance, pride) from our souls. Most all Jews, observant or not, participate in the removal of leavening from their homes.

Today is the day of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Tomorrow night, the second night of Passover, is the night that Christ would have celebrated the Passover Supper with his beloved apostles. I am awestruck by the overlap between the two cultures. Tomorrow night, Jews all over the world will be celebrating the same thing Jesus did over 2,000 years ago on the same night. I wish my Jewish friends knew what I know to be true.

Have a wonderful Easter (and Passover)

Shalom