A DAY IN THE ROA NATIONAL CHAPLAIN’S THOUGHTS
EASTER/PASSOVER 2021
Exodus 15
Luke 24
A Spiritual Fitness message from the ROA National Chaplain
In the Judeo-Christian year, the Passover / Easter season is one of the most significant periods of worship, celebration, remembrance, and reflection. Not only does this season chart the religious community’s path but also the weather/climate as well. There are heavenly gravitational patterns and relationship alignments among the sun, moon, planets, and our Earth that are affecting our quarterly seasons of weather.
For those of Jewish faith, it is a time of Passover, remembrance of preservation, and deliverance from bondage and slavery. There is much to think about during Passover, but the significance of God stepping into the lives of the Children of Israel must never be forgotten. God heard the prayer and cries of His followers and provided Moses to lead them to freedom. The response of God, His call upon Moses, the training of Moses and the preparation of the people for their journey all impacted the entire world. It is most interesting that the training ground for Moses was in the desert. Later he was to lead his people through the desert to their new land. The components of the Passover event are many and I recommend my readers to review this very special time.
While I am a Chaplain of Christian faith, I had a mentor for a short period of time who was a Rabbi of the Jewish belief. That was a long time ago, but I have never forgotten my friend, Benjamin Elsant, as he impacted my life tremendously. For those of us who hold the Christian faith, this season is one of deliverance, too.
It is a time of suffering and recollection to know how God stepped into history. The journey of the Christian begins with Lent then moves to the week leading to Easter Day. From that time, there are the fifty days forward to Pentecost. The impact of these two branches of belief have provided the foundations for many of our governing documents in America.
One finds fragments of their belief in nearly every phase of our society and structure of education. Instructions on how we treat one another, and the laws which protect, frame and preserve generations into the future. One does not need to look too far historically to discover that the belief systems of these two major faiths have made it possible for grandparents to live long enough to enjoy grandchildren and vice-versa, accomplish dreams that many thought impossible, preserve the nuclear family, and the framework for maintaining moral integrity.
Both the Old and the New Testaments speak to the individual soul, heart/mind and body of the human race. The foundation of the Ten Commandments, The Sermon on the Mount, the message of the Prophets, provide us guidance on how to live in community. Are there flaws? Yes! There are more flaws than we may want to count, but not because the instructions are incorrect.
Mostly, because of our inner grasp and practical application of what we already know from the reading of both Testaments. Passover and Easter remind us that God is alive, that He intervenes in our journey here on planet earth and desires our faithfulness. Such times are for us to talk to Him and about all He has done plus come to our aid in our dilemma. Peace of soul can lead to peace with one another.