Monday, April 14, 2014

A Response to Kansas

It doesn't always happen this way, but this year it does.  Passover and Holy Week overlap.  As Jews around the world are remembering the story of the Exodus, Christians are recalling the last days of Jesus on earth. 

In some ways the stories are like those Russian dolls--you know the ones I mean--where one doll fits into another fits into another . . . and so on?  Such is the way with these stories.  For Jesus and his followers we are told were in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.  Like all good Jews in that time, they made the journey to offer sacrifice at the Temple and to share in a special meal.  Without the Exodus, there would be no Passover.  Without Passover, there would be no Holy Week.  Without Holy Week there would be no . . .  well, you get my point.  Interconnected stories.

Over the years the Holy Week story has often been told in ways that foster anti-Semitism,
which of course, makes little sense.  But when does hatred ever make sense?  Jesus was a Jew.  His followers were Jews.  If you hate Jews then you hate Jesus--no matter what you say otherwise.
In this time in which we should be remembering our common heritage as Christians and Jews it especially tragic that a gunman in Kansas has lashed out in hatred.  Every year we Christians must be attentive to how we tell the story of Holy Week--perhaps this year, even more than ever, we need to remember the one we call Savior and those who carried out his work, were Jews.

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