Christianity and Judaism are two of the most prominent religions worldwide, but there are of course many important differences, beliefs and interpretations that distinguish them from one another.
The most obvious example of this comes in December: Christians celebrate Christmas, whereas Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah. Neither observance is “right,” since each commemorates different events. In the same way, Christianity and Judaism remember different events in the spring as well, in Easter and Passover.
While Christmas and Hanukkah are two of the more widely recognized observances, Easter and Passover are just as important to Christianity and Judaism respectively. A key differentiator between the religions of Christianity and Judaism is the concept of God. Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God. Jewish people, on the other hand, reject the concept of God in human form but rather as a spiritual being.
Passover is a Jewish holiday biblically derived from the Old Testament, a collection of ancient religious writings believed by many to be the sacred word of God. The Jewish people celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in ancient Egypt. In the Biblical book of Exodus, God helps Moses and the Jewish people by inflicting 10 plagues upon the ancient Egyptians. The final plague is known as the death of firstborn sons. Before this final
plague, God commanded Moses to tell his people to smear lamb’s blood above their doors, in which case God would pass over their homes. Following this, the Egyptians were fearful of God and released the Jewish captives.
Easter is a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The New Testament, which focuses more on Jesus’ life, says that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day of his burial after being betrayed by one of his own followers and then crucified by the Romans. For Christians, this miraculous resurrection established Jesus as the powerful and almighty Son of God.
Stevenson celebrates the diversity of students of all faiths, and welcomes the spring feasts with openness and remembrance.