Passover in an Ecumenical Home

Passover in an Ecumenical Home

James E. McGuire 

April 15, 2014

            We celebrated Passover this year with our son’s family and the family of their au pair, visiting the United States from their home in Germany.  This year Abby, age 4, quietly asked the first question: Why is this night different from all other nights?” Sam and Andy, age 7, reading from index cards, asked the other questions with loud clear voices. The answers to these questions were somewhat truncated in respect of the age of the children and the challenges of translation from English to German.  We did cover the most important parts of the service: praising a god who gave us wine and negotiating with children for the return of the afikomen (a hidden piece of matzoh) necessary to conclude the service, leading to the last glass of wine and dessert.

As a secular humanist, raised as a Lutheran Christian, and married to a Reformed Jew, I offer my reflections on the core teachings of Passover and the Seder service to my new German friends, Kalli and Ulli. Why do we hold this special Seder service?

            Passover is an ancient festival that captures eternal ideals: spring and the renewal of life and freedom from slavery or servitude.  In the pastoral tribes of Israel, spring was celebrated by sacrifice of the first born of the flock of sheep, the Paschal lamb.  The festival, Hag Hapesah, became a festival of the home when the Jews were in bondage in Egypt and the Pharaoh refused to allow them to journey to the wilderness to make the Paschal sacrifice.

            Pesah means the “passing over,” sparing from suffering and delivering from bondage.  In Exodus, “the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for that He passed over the houses of the children of Israel, when He smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses.  (Exodus 12:27).  The feast of Matzot or “unleavened bread” was created in remembrance of the hurried flight from Egypt, when the Israelite’s did not have time to let their bread rise before fleeing Egypt to create Passover.  These three festivals, Hag Hapesah, Pesah, and Matzot were combined to create Passover.

            When Israel was a free nation, the Passover Seder was the key celebration of freedom and the renewal of life, conducted at the Temple in Jerusalem.  When the Romans destroyed the Temple (AD 70), the celebration moved back to the home.  Under centuries of oppression, Jewish people intoned fervently, “This year we are slaves; next year may we be free.”

            When I first participated in a Passover Seder, I was immediately taken by the universal truths embodied in the symbols of this service.  At our Passover table, we find many symbols of our shared heritage in celebrating the renewal of life.  On the farm in Minnesota, the lambing season was first sign of spring.  For all of us who have ever held a new-born, whether lamb, puppy, kitten, or baby, it is at once a mystery, a miracle, and an occasion for celebration and hope. So a roasted lamb bone (the Paschal lamb) (provided for free by our neighborhood Whole Foods store) on a platter with an egg and parsley. These are signs of spring and the renewal of life.  On the same platter, we also have saltwater and bitter herbs as a reminder that life can also be hard and that our joy in living can sometimes be mingled with tears of sadness and sorrow. The tulips on the table, which renew themselves each year, are also universal signs of spring.  The table is lit with candles, our symbol for light, the source of all life.

            The Paschal lamb is the ultimate symbol of sacrifice of the first and the best for the greater good.  Christianity has adopted this notion and applied to Jesus Christ in his sacrifice as the Lamb of God.  In this ecumenical household, we honor these symbols of sacrifice by our notions of sharing and caring.  With family, we recognize our obligations to care for aging parents, siblings in need, and nephew, nieces, and cousins who benefit from a helping hand.  We welcome our guests because you are an important part of this tradition.  In the Passover seder, there is always a cup for Elijah, the symbol of travelers, looking for shelter and hospitality.  In our home, it is fundamental:  the door is always open, our friends and our children’s friends are always welcome.  Our lives are richer by our sharing with you and with others.

            Freedom from servitude, slavery, and strife is the central theme of the Passover Seder.  In this year, we can celebrate the prospects for peace as we conclude our longest war in Afghanistan for true peace is the beginning of freedom for all people.  For ourselves, we can celebrate our own freedoms:  our choices in retirement to pursue new endeavors; the choices open to our grandchildren as students to pursue their own unique interests.  We can also reflect on our slavery and servitude:  Too many of our citizens are slaves to a minimum wage not adequate to provide for the basic necessities of life.  Next year, may they be free: “an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.” 

For each of you, this Passover Seder can be a celebration of freedoms won and a resolve to overcome whatever puts your mind, body, or spirit in bondage.