Passover begins at sundown today and it made me happy this morning to find the following brief explanation of its significance at ReformJudaism.org. ---
"The holiday of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is perhaps one of the most central to Jewish life and history. More widely observed than any other holiday, Passover celebrates the biblical account of the Israelites’ redemption and escape from 400 years of Egyptian slavery. Holiday rituals include a dramatic retelling of the Exodus story and many unique food traditions. We come together with friends and family to celebrate the great lessons of the story: the blessing of freedom and the reminder that since we were once slaves and were freed, it is our responsibility to work for freedom for all people, everywhere."
And it is the midst of Holy Week for those of us who identify as Christian, orthodox, not so orthodox or merely cultural --- an expression of faith that borrows from Jewish tradition to form its mythology.
Palm Sunday is past, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter upcoming.
So it also made me happy this morning that find this greeting to all who celebrate from the Unitarian Universalist Association, a faith tradition that honors both Jewish and Christian while embracing neither.
The lesson is essentially the same: "We were once slaves and were freed, it is our responsibility to work for freedom for all people, everywhere."
It's important to understand the sources of our traditions, but more important to live the lesson.
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