A Season of Hope and Newness
I think of Christmas as a time of Holy Days. Time off and family gatherings around religious festivals.
The month of December has holy moments for many of the world’s religions, as well as January 1st as a celebratory time to ring in a New Year.
Yet, around spring, another wave of holy days is upon us.
These days are often tied with the vernal equinox to connect us to a season of hope and newness.
The final week of March is Holy Week in the Christian tradition.
After the mildest winter in memory, this Holy Week finally looks like the White Christmas we didn’t have.
The symbolism of Easter is readily apparent through the messaging of the Easter bunny and the metaphor of an egg cracked open because an egg brings new life. This connection is related to new life through the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus.
The dates of Easter are a “movable feast” determined by the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the first day of Spring.
In the Jewish tradition, Passover often coincides with Easter. However, Passover is later this year because it’s a Jewish leap year. The lunar year is shorter than the solar year, so an extra month is sometimes added to make up for it. Like the Christian tradition, the dates are determined based off the moon.
Passover symbolizes the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery and the rapid nature of their departure. A seder meal with foods of significance and meaning to that exodus are shared while prayers and readings are spoken.
Ramadan began March 10th and continues until April 9 in which Muslims are encouraged to fast during the day. This holiday is special for Muslims because it’s when the holy scriptures were revealed. The days of Ramadan are determined by the Islamic lunar calendar.
What each of these major holidays call people to do is to focus through fasting, intentionality, and heightened awareness of spiritual practices.
Much of the war and violence in our world is related to religious groups at odds with each other. Unfortunately, these conflicts can sour the opinion of religion.
My prayer is that during this holy time as so many people throughout the world are focused on their faith, that our prayers may be answered.
May violence cease. May hatred, fear, and oppression come to an end.
Instead, could our spiritual practices open our eyes to the beauty of faith practices of others? Can we witness to the care and love that our neighbors have for the world, just like we do?
As the religious diversity in our community continues to grow, I pray that we continue to be open and welcoming to those who believe differently than us.
Happy Easter! Ramadan Mubarak (Blessed Ramadan)! And Happy Pesach, for a kosher and joyous Passover!
Pastor John Klawiter is the senior pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation in Forest Lake. For more information, email him at . This article appeared in the Forest Lake Times on March 28, 2024.