Passover

Just after dusk tonight, the commemoration of Passover began, and it will continue until dusk tomorrow. The story behind Passover is familiar to all three Abrahamic traditions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

To refresh for those who may have forgotten and to share for those who may not know, God led the Israelites, who had been held in slavery in Egypt, to freedom.  It is said that God sent 10 plagues to Egypt, and the last and worst was the death of first-born children.  "The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to pass over the first-born in these homes, hence the English name of the holiday."*

I remember being fascinated by this story as a child, and I am almost as moved by it today.  Besides being the most important Jewish holiday and foundational in Christianity, this story is one of the most beloved in Islam, as well.

Just think about it: these people were slaves, and they just trusted that God would lead them from slavery. All they needed to do was slaughter a lamb and mark their homes.  While Passover is primarily observed as a celebration of freedom, for me it is also a story of complete trust and obedience.  I find Passover a reminder--a reminder that we can find freedom every day by trusting and obeying wherever God leads us. 

Remember, trust, obey...freedom!









*Wikipedia