I remember when I was growing up how excited I used to get before the Passover Seder*, I couldn’t wait for it to begin. We had to clean our rooms, and I loved telling on my sister who was hiding cookies somewhere. Everything was so exciting, we got to stay awake until late, everybody was happy, we got to interrupt the adults and ask all kinds of questions and everybody was so eager to answer. The table looked incredible full delicious dishes and other not so delicious like bitter herbs and weird tasting bread. We put on our new dress and everybody came to our house. But my favorite part was when my father started telling us the story of this hero named Moses who heard God´s voice loud and clear and freed us from slavery in Egypt. I was amazed of how powerful God was then, and wondered if He could still do this today.  My father used to tell it with such enthusiasm that I wanted to be a part of it, I wanted to be there to see the blood on the door frame, to eat the lamb in a hurry, to see the ocean split in two, to meet Moses and ask him how God´s voice sounded like. It all seemed like a movie.

Later on in my life, when I had forgotten about this powerful God I had once heard about,  I was presented with a story that I could relate to. I heard someone speak with even more passion and enthusiasm about this poor woman named Mary Magdalene who was ashamed, lonely and accused, feeling sad, lost and burdened. I could definitely relate to her. Then she met this incredible man who, didn’t split the sea in two, but instead healed the sick, resuscitated the dead, freed her from her slavery, cast demons out of her and filled her with love. And this amazing hero had come not only to save her, but everyone, including me.

Me? Really? My life was Egypt, my slavery was sin and the burden of rocks was way to heavy, I needed to meet this man. And I did. Only this time I wasn´t wearing a new dress, I sure wasn’t happy and no matter how many adults I interrupted, nobody could give me an answer… Except Him.

He led me out of my Egypt, released me from my burden and is taking me to the Promised Land. Now, I don´t have blood on my door frame but I know His blood has been spilled so that I don´t have to. I don´t have to eat the lamb in a hurry because I know I will eat it peacefully when I dine with Him. I haven’t seen the sea split in two but I have felt what is like to walk away from slavery into light, I haven´t met Moses, and I don´t know what God´s voice sounds like, but I met Jesus and I know He speaks to me. And now I know God did that then and still does today, because my real life Passover was just as miraculous.

Footnote

* Pesach, or Passover, is one of the most commonly observed Jewish holidays. It is observed by avoiding leaven bread, and highlighted by the Seder meals that include wine, matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.