On Easter and Passover

Sure, I teach Sunday School, but it's at a UU church which means my theological credentials would probably not pass muster at more traditional or dogmatic institutions. Which is why it felt funny to be explaining the roots of both Easter and Passover to my kiddos this week.

Of course, we'd already broken the news about Jesus--his Crucifixion and Resurrection--to Sis and Bud a few weeks ago, leaving it at "Jesus comes back to life as the Easter Bunny." Surely that alone would get me removed from most church education programs! But we were reviewing the facts again because Sis was pretending her bunny Amy was Jesus reincarnate. And Bud said he doubted the whole story because "normal people don't do that (i.e. come back to life)." So, I had to do my "some people believe this, I believe that" spiel. Which in this case goes "Some people believe Jesus was very special because he died and came back to life. I don't believe that. I think he was an important teacher and he died but didn't come back to life." At which point, Bud repeated, "normal people don't do that."

So, having recounted the Passion, I asked the kids if I'd mentioned anything about bunnies or eggs? Nope, clearly not. At which point, being a good pagan-leaning UU, I needed to explain that many of the symbols of Easter come from pagan Europe and the worship of Ostara (and other similar goddesses), to whom bunnies are sacred and eggs and spring and fertility and seeds are key. The two merged when Christianity was spread into Europe. TMI for a preschooler? I'm embarrassed to say I then needed to mention other European and non-Christian gods, many of whom are the basis of the names for the days of the weeks and months. Nothing like Mars and Freya over a pizza lunch! Then Sis decided she wanted to be Goddess of the Bunnies. And Bud wants to be God of the Penguins.

But that doesn't top explaining the Exodus and Passover last night. Our friend Miss B, who is culturally Jewish but otherwise spiritually diverse, had come over yesterday bearing matzoh candy with cashews and coconut in chocolate (and was a good sport when I used her as my Jewish poster child!). And so after she left, I was explaining matzoh, which led to the Exodus and to Passover, and to Moses, the promised land, the parting of the Red Sea, the plagues, and the wicker basket on the Nile--thank heavens for Charlton Heston and The Ten Commandments (really, besides Ben Hur, the only nice thing I can say about him)! And all the kids could say was "why?" Too bad we won't be able to go to the church's Seder tomorrow night--I know our minister has more theological groundings than I do to field that and many other questions about these holidays.

All of which is to say that I think Buddhist Mama and UU me are doing a great job raising at least one Christian, however accidentally and unintentionally!