The Christian observance of Holy Week, bookended by Palm Sunday and Easter, is underway. The Jewish observance of Passover begins tomorrow and lasts until April 13th. Both have elements of solemnity and sorrow, but also the joy of deliverance and the awesome power of God’s love.
Thinking about this special time, it was easy to select a few things I wanted to share with you.
MUSIC: “What Wondrous Love” (see above)
Sheridan arranges as well as composes. I really like his arrangement of this favorite seasonal hymn.
Next up, a beautiful, very short video called “Lost and Found.” What? A stop-motion animated film about two knitted animals, dinosaur and fox, is for grownups? Absolutely! I found it to be a deeply moving story of selfless love and sacrifice, very appropriate for this time…I think you’ll be glad you watched (keep a tissue handy though)!
VIDEO: Lost and Found
ESSAY: Easter Fools
A few years back, I wrote this essay, Easter Fools, for Mayim Bialik’s “Grok Nation.” It was a year when Easter fell on April Fool’s Day, and I wrote about the delightful French custom of writing “L’amour de Dieu est folie” (“The Love of God is foolishness”) on the side of buildings at Eastertime (“foolish” in this case meaning: “boundless, extravagant"). I was so happy to be included on this site, which features predominantly Jewish authors and subjects. Hooray for more interfaith connection and understanding!
RECIPE: My Ambitious Easter Cake
As of this writing, this dessert is still aspirational (meaning I haven’t made it quite yet). I’m sharing it with you to give me some accountability: I WILL bake and decorate this cake for Easter dinner, with the boys’ help (the robin’s egg “speckles” on the frosting are made by flicking a (new) toothbrush dipped in cocoa onto the cake. Something tells me Aiden and Peter are up to the challenge:-)
BLOG PREVIEW:
Steve and I are headed to Tennessee soon, for a Seyfried family reunion. Not a super fan of reunions as a rule, but I love these guys so we’ll see how this goes…read my reflection over at Working Title tomorrow!
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“It is dangerous to take human freedom for granted, to regard it as a prerogative rather than as an obligation, as an ultimate fact rather than as an ultimate goal. It is the beginning of wisdom to be amazed at the fact of our being free.”
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Wishing you a blessed and meaningful holiday, my friends!! We are set free!!
Image: arkoftestamentofgod on Pixabay
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