Every year Passover and Easter share an intimate relationship
on our calendars. They dance and wrestle
with one another. Passover, this year,
begins on the evening of Good Friday, the day Christians remember the murder of
Jesus.
Both holidays begin with questions. The Jewish seder or meal starts with the youngest
person present, asking “the four questions”, as to why this night is different
from any other night. And Good Friday
scriptures talk of Jesus on the cross in Mark and Matthew’s gospels asking the
question: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” These questions lead to stories of
deliverance, the Exodus and the Resurrection.
But, did you notice?
From year to year the questions do not go away. They keep being repeated. The questions are an integral part of our
traditions. The questions remain
questions because all the talk of deliverance from sin, death and evil is just
that, talk! In our time, sin, death and
evil are doing quite well, Torah and Jesus notwithstanding. The stories of deliverance are glimpses of
hope yet to be completely fulfilled for Jews or Christians.
During this season, we hold on to both the questions and the
glimpses. After all, Jews and Christians
are two communities that continue to wait and wait and wait, at the same time doing
what we can to reduce the madness of human beings.
Despite all the differences between Jews and Christians, and
these should not be ignored or diminished.
The argument between them is important.
But this time of the year is about remembering, remembering who we are,
where we came from, the questions we must ask, and the hopes that motivates us to
get out of bed in the morning.
Passover and Easter remind us not to forget. “In memory lies
redemption.” And these holidays are ways we try to remember the problematic fragility
and mysterious substance of our hopes.
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