On my walk at Vitruvian Park, several people stop and stare at a proud mother duck with six tiny baby ducklings trailing alongside her. The ducks are a symbol of new life bursting forth. For Christians, it is the holy day of Easter Sunday — the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a time of rebirth and renewal, just as Passover was earlier in the month for Jews. For Muslims, Ramadan begins April 23 and is a month of intense spiritual rejuvenation with a heightened focus on devotion.
According to the article “Ramadan and spiritual rebirth” in Blueprint Newspapers Ltd., fasting in Ramadan develops in a person the real spirit of social belonging, of unity and brotherhood, and of equality before God. Ramadan offers Muslim faithful a unique opportunity to move closer to God and inspire spiritual rebirth and revival.
Per Rabbi Rose Lyn Jacob’s article “Passover and Easter: timeless and intertwined celebrations of rebirth, renewal, and redemption” in the Culpeper Star-Exponent, every generation faces different challenges, and each person makes his or her own connection to the story: freedom, liberation, God’s redemption of his children. We are confronted daily with so many new means of enslavement: drug addiction, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, excessive use of electronics, greed, a need for power over others. We can be shackled by demands or obligations. We can be restrained from being the people we want to be. No matter how difficult or challenging the path to personal redemption or liberation, be assured that we are not meant to go it alone. God is always with us.
In the Spirituality & Practice article “Easter: Resurrection as a Spiritual Practice,” a Naming the Days feature by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, several spiritual practices are identified:
· Faith enables us to live with confidence amidst doubt and paradox. When you can trust in your relationship with God, all kinds of leaps and rebirths are possible.
· Your little acts of kindness tenderize the world, add to the fund of good will and set the table for resurrection.
· Every time you forgive someone, another resurrection is in the making.
· Practice gratitude, and you are slaying the death-dealing forces of boredom, despair and taking things for granted.
· Bring hope to someone in despair, bring healing to those in conflict and you are contributing to the ongoing resurrection.
· Nurture yourself — eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest — and you are helping God resurrect your body.
· When you regularly pray for others as part of your devotional activities, you are practicing resurrection.
All these celebrations remind us to focus on God and not on ourselves. They are exactly the kind of reminder we need during the coronavirus crisis. We need to exercise our spiritual muscles and remember what is most important in our lives. Having a relationship with God will dispel our fears and bring us the peace we desperately need right now.
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