Reflections on Anti-Semitism, Passover and Easter

Passover and Holy Week do not always coincide, but this year they do.  So it is that I will participate in a Good Friday service at noon this week, and then that evening be part of the Passover Seder being hosted by our sister congregation Temple Bat Yam.  It makes for a strange day, to say the least, for the events of Holy Week, especially Good Friday, have often been turned into fodder for anti-Semitism.  And over centuries Jews have had to contend with that most blasphemous of curses when they have been called "Christ-killers!"

I often struggle with how to tell the passion story, how to reflect its powerful messages without

slipping into language that could be interpreted as anti-Semitic.  Indeed, the gospel writers themselves sometimes reveal such a struggle.  John in particular uses language that may have made some sense in his own day and time, but when read over nineteen centuries later requires an enormous amount of interpretation in order to avoid making generalizations about, as he so frequently stated it, "the Jews." 

But if we are to tell the story of Jesus, who was after all a Jew throughout his life, whose first followers were all Jews, we can't avoid the stories of his arrest, his trial and his crucifixion.  And those stories are full of potential traps!  

Careful exegesis of the texts is one way to combat anti-Semitism.  But it is even more important that Christian congregations develop relationships with Jewish congregations.  We have done that here on Sanibel over the years.  Indeed, Temple Bat Yam shares our building!  But more than that, much more than that, we share worship experiences, outreach efforts, educational programs, fellowship events and more.  We are even sharing a pilgrimage to Israel later this month.  Twenty Jews and their rabbi (my friend and colleague Stephen Fuchs), and twenty Christians and their pastor. 

When Passover and Holy Week coincide it provides a challenge, and it provides special opportunities.  But even better, is when relationships are given the space to blossom and grow all year long.  In the end, that is the most important way to battle anti-Semitism, or for that matter, any form of prejudice.