Connecting With Our History

Time for an update:  I have finished Genesis and read through Exodus 15, which includes the story of Moses and the freeing of the Israelites.  Once again, I am moved by the fact that the greatest characters in the Bible have their moments of doubt and insecurity.  I think that is so far, one of the greatest things I am gaining from reading the Bible myself.  I am reminded that every single one of us is imperfect.  Sometimes, this is missed in the telling of the stories of the Bible, or maybe I just didn’t “get it” like I am reading it for myself.  The Bible really focuses on these imperfections and struggles, which is reassuring to me.  If the most well-known people in the Bible are imperfect, then certainly it is okay that I am as well.  I know, we are taught this in Church all the time, but I find I am connecting with the people I am reading about much more now.

Of course, reading about the freeing of the Israelites and the beginning of Passover makes me think of my Jewish friends. One of my first experiences I had with Jewish holidays was when I was dating a Jewish guy in high school and was invited to Passover Seder with his family.  I was in awe the entire dinner and to this day am just as in awe.  Sadly, this was my first realization that the stories in Judaism are a lot of the same stories in Christianity.  I guess prior to that point, I didn’t really have any real interaction with Jewish families or knowledge of their religion.  Passover was a fantastic experience from me.  It was so interesting to hear the story from their perspective, as the people who were freed from slavery.  The part that really struck me about Passover is how the dinner was so steeped in history. All the details were in some way related to the escape from slavery and had a purpose.  It was inspiring to see how connected to their past they were and how this special holiday was all about celebrating that history.  At the same time, it made me a little sad.  As a Christian, I don’t feel that I am as connected to the past in that same way.  We celebrate Easter and Christmas and while we do try to focus on the real meaning of those holidays, there are still so many things that we let get in the way.  Santa, presents, Easter baskets, hunting eggs and the Easter Bunny are just a few.  Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy those things, but sometimes, I wish we focused more on the rest, on the history and meaning of the holidays. I think my goal for this year will be to find more ceremonial ways to focus on the history and spend more time teaching my children the real meaning of those holidays.  I think next year at Easter, we will celebrate the Passover Dinner, as both a way of celebrating Easter, but also to teach my children the historical significance of the holiday. What do you do to focus on the real meaning of the holidays?  Are there any special ceremonies your family does? I’d love to hear about it.

Also, for the record, I still picture Charlton Heston when I read about Moses.