Sacred Occasions and Everything In Between

The confluence of  Passover, Easter, and Ramadan this year is remarkable not only for three Abrahamic religions finding a common moment of celebration, but also the way they differ.   

Passover is the birth of a new Israelite people through the liberation from Pharaoh's bondage.  Ramadan is the month of revelation of Holy Scripture that forms the basis of the Islamic understanding of G*d and the world.  Easter marks a uniquely Christian moment: the resurrection of one whose death is the opening of the door to salvation for those who believe. 

While Judaism, Islam, and Christianity have many moral tenets in common - responsibility to others,  attention to the poor and vulnerable, faith that G*d is One -  the purpose of  these festivals are unique to each religion. 

But why look for differences when the world already has so much division?

The power of this moment is not in the way we merge our different faiths but in how we rejoice in each other's beliefs and blessings.  Where and when there has been and continues to be conflict it is in finding no room for difference.  When my faith leaves room for another’s and another’s for mine, we can learn from one another and celebrate as friends and neighbors for each other’s sacred occasions but also the every day time in between.