The stories of Easter and Passover are very different.
Easter is the story of sacrifice and redemption. It is the heart of the Christian faith.
Passover is the story of survival and freedom. It is central to Jewish identity.
There is overlap. It often happens with the calendar, as it does this year. The eight days of Passover started at sunset Wednesday. Holy Week ends with Easter Sunday today.
Despite the differences in the stories, the way they bring people together in tradition and celebration is a common theme.
We gather around a table.
For Passover, it is the Seder. That is the traditional retelling of how the Jewish people were in bondage in Egypt and how they were led out by Moses, with a divine guiding hand.
For Easter, it is a dinner table bright with the colors and flavors of spring, the season of rebirth and renewal that echoes the resurrection of Jesus.
It is a time for all of us, no matter which table we join, to remember that the most trying times do not have to break us. They give us an opportunity to push through, to overcome, to become better than how we started.
Last year, the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion was hit by an arsonist after a Passover meal. Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were unharmed, but the residence was not so lucky.
As war is waged in the Middle East and as antisemitism and political violence are far too common at home, we know that this is not something far away, happening to other people. It is in our backyard. It is in our neighborhoods.
This year, as Jews and Christians celebrate these holy days, the governor’s residence is restored.
We all should feel that sense of newness.
Seder plates and Easter baskets both feature eggs. It is not coincidence.
They symbolize new life, new growth, a new commitment to moving forward. That is a lesson everyone can learn and something everyone can use, regardless of faith or tradition.
Chag Pesach Sameach to those observing Passover.
Happy Easter to those gathered at the other table.
