25Apr16

Luke 22:14-15
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."

This past weekend I was able to go to my first Passover Seder with some of the Jewish Soldiers in the Battalion. My exposure to this holiday throughout my life had been connected only to "the Lord's Supper." To me, as a Christian, Passover took on a very sorrowful and solemn meaning as it was taught to me in this context. Once a month I took communion at church and was reminded that the bread and the wine were linked to the crucifixion of my Savior. So, I walked into that Seder with some pretty deep-rooted pre-conceived notions of what I was going to experience. But, it was nothing like I thought it would be! It was a party!

We had a great time talking, laughing, singing, eating, and learning together as we reclined at the table. There was wine flowing freely and food in abundance as the Jewish congregation recounted their history as a people and celebrated their freedom from oppression. Experiencing this suddenly put the "last supper" into a whole new context and gave it so much more depth. They weren't mourning and somber. They were celebrating! They may have even been a little intoxicated together! These were fishermen celebrating one of the biggest holidays of their faith! They were singing and laughing and having a great time together. How did I manage to suck the joy out of something that was so rich in life and fun? I needed my Jewish brothers to help open my eyes.

Sometimes when we are stuck in a rut of tradition and habit we need the eyes of someone outside our normal life to shed light on where we are sucking the joy out of something God meant to be fun. Sometimes we need to be open enough to receive this from people from which we may have differing viewpoints. You lose out on so much of life when you close your heart to the experiences of others. What are you stuck in today? Who can help you see from a different perspective?