Finding common ground as Easter and Passover coincide

Finding common ground as Easter and Passover coincide

As Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, Jews will be having Seder feasts and recounting their people’s liberation from slavery in Egypt.

Religious leaders say this overlap – the second time this century that Good Friday and the first day of Passover have coincided – is an opportunity to celebrate religious tolerance in Delaware.

“Especially in our culture today, it seems to be more divided and in conflict,” said City Church of Wilmington Pastor Jason Sica. “It is important for people, whether they have religious beliefs or not, to have the right to believe and practice.”

In Christian faiths, Good Friday marks the crucifixion and death of Jesus. It is a solemn day that is then followed by Easter Sunday, when Jesus was said in the New Testament of the Bible to rise from the dead.

“I have been asked, ‘Why is Good Friday called good?’ ” said Pastor Bill Schlonecker of Bible Fellowship Church of Newark. “The reason is because of what his death accomplished for us as Christians.”

Rabbi Yair Robinson, of Congregation Beth Emeth of Wilmington, said Jews often invite non-Jews to their Passover Seders as a way of opening dialogue.

“There is something to be said for not just being religiously tolerant, but religiously vulnerable,” Robinson said. “Think back about how vulnerable Jews have been historically and still there is a sense of opening our doors to those in need, even though that means exposing ourselves in many respects.”

Passover, which always occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan, began at sundown Friday and will continue for a week.

The first two days of Passover are marked by Seders, or family-oriented meals that involve the retelling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites.

Rituals during the meal, such as eating matzo, or unleavened bread, are meant to represent aspects of the story as it was told in the The Book of Exodus.

“It is not just about God redeeming us from Egypt, but a reminder of those who are still in bondage and who need redemption themselves and how we can be sympathetic to their needs,” Robinson said.

Rabbi Chuni Vogel, of Chabad Lubavitch of Delaware, agreed and said it is important to accept differences even within Judaism.

“It is certainly a very important tenant in the Jewish faith to not impose one’s faith on other people and to recognize there are differences,” Vogel said.

Holidays amid a national debate

As Easter and Passover align this weekend, a national debate is raging about religious tolerance.

Last week, Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Pence signed a controversial religious freedom law that some say would have allowed religious business owners to deny providing cake, flowers or photography services to same-sex weddings.

After public officials all over the nation, including New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon, protested the law by banning government travel to Indiana, Pence approved a clarification that prohibited businesses from denying services based on sexual orientation.

Rabbi Michael Beals, of Congregation Beth Shalom, said his faith requires him to have an obligation to be sensitive to the discrimination of gay people and immigrants.

“Because of the Passover experience, the 400-plus years of slavery in Egypt, this forces our hand to not sit idly by,” he said.

While coming from a different faith, the Rev. Donald Morton, associate pastor at Tabernacle Full Gospel Baptist Cathedral in Wilmington, said Jesus’ resurrection is an opportunity to also advocate for social injustices. He plans to spread the Easter message of revoking the death penalty.

“Jesus is an innocent man from a poor community who is executed, crucified because he doesn’t agree and adapt to the status quo,” Morton said.

Schlonecker said while it is important to preach tolerance of all faiths, it shouldn’t negate what Christian’s believe to be the truth.

“For us all there is but one truth,” he said, adding that Jesus’ message is also one of “inclusion.”

Beals said that to be able to have these religious discussions on Passover and Easter in Delaware makes it “a very special place.”

Finding common ground

Passover and Easter are not specifically connected since Jews are still waiting for the messiah, while Christians believe Jesus was the messiah.

However, Christianity’s roots come from Judaism. Some Christians say the Last Supper was a Passover meal since Jesus and the 12 disciples were Jews.

“We have a very strong love for the Jewish people and for the people of Israel,” said Schlonecker.

Father Joseph McQuaide, the vice chancellor of the Diocese of Wilmington and associate pastor at Holy Cross Church in Dover, agreed.

“There is a lot of ritual, mass and so forth, that have their roots from Jewish religion,” he said.

Beals said he likes to look for commonalities between faiths. He has found that Passover and Easter are celebrated in the spring since they are both about rebirth.

Parsley and roasted egg are served during the Seder and are meant to symbolize rebirth, Beals said.

Robinson said he looks at Easter as a reason “to be happy for our non-Jewish friends,” but does not see a connection to Passover.

Contact Jessica Masulli Reyes at 302-324-2777, [email protected] or Twitter @JessicaMasulli.