EASTER AND PASSOVER

Two major religious events coincide this year: Easter and Passover.

For Christians, Easter is the pivotal event on which their religion is founded. Jesus Christ died on a cross for the sins of the world. The crucifixion would have been little noticed except for the fact that Jesus came back from the dead. The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! For 2,000 years believers have repeated the words that express the fundamental core of Christianity.

The weeklong Jewish celebration of Passover began Friday evening. Passover is a much older religious observance, commemorating the deliverance of Jews from Egyptian slavery. The heart of Passover is the seder, which uses symbolic food and wine to commemorate the historic event.

The two festivals are closely related. Religious scholarship indicates the Last Supper at which Jesus instituted the special commemoration through bread of wine of his body and blood was probably a Passover meal. There is no question that throughout his life Jesus participated in the annual Passover rituals.

Because of how the dates for Passover and Easter are calculated, it isn't every year that they occur at the same time. This year Christians and Jews celebrate their special observances together. In a troubled world, deep religious conviction remains a wellspring of hope.