Millions of eggs—While hard-boiled and colored Easter eggs, as well as plastic eggs filled with candy, are popping up in Christian homes nationwide—Jewish families will be placing roasted eggs (called Beitzah in Hebrew) on their seder plates for Passover this week. The interpretations of these symbolic eggs differ in our religious traditions, yet they speak to our shared seasons of spiritual reflections that involve the common foods that sustain us. And speaking of sustenance—although eggs are not a spiritual symbol in Islam, they are commonly eaten before dawn each day of Ramadan because the protein is a solid source of sustenance as Muslims then must fast until sundown.
Of Easter Eggs
and Seder Plates
and the Reflections of Ramadan
‘The Broken Matzoh’
FIRST, RABBI LENORE BOHM—author of Torah Tutor: A Contemporary Torah Study Guide—writes about the symbolism of breaking a matzah to create the afikomen that is hidden during the Passover seder. In that ritual—which also involves inviting our children to search for that broken piece of matzah—families have an opportunity to think about ways we can heal from our own brokenness. Whatever your faith may be, there is wisdom in this column that you may want to share with your own friends and family this week.
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Brian McLaren tells the story of Easter morning
THEN, best-selling Christian author Brian McLaren shares a video this week in which he retells the Christian story of Easter morning. This is a video that Brian welcomes others to share via your own social media, emails or websites—so enjoy it right now and you may want to send it along to others.
OF COURSE, before Easter for Christians comes a series of Holy Week observances that are observed around the world each year. Our Holidays & Festivals columnist Stephanie Fenton reports: “Western Christians across the globe entered Holy Week on Palm Sunday, and begin the Easter Triduum—recounting the final days of Jesus’s life and Passion—on Thursday, with Holy (Maundy) Thursday, followed by Good Friday and Holy Saturday.” Stephanie’s column explains the diversity of observances in various branches of Christianity, including the use of “Stations of the Cross” and, for many Christians, an “Easter Vigil.”
Stephanie also reminds us that, while Western Christians (the majority of American Christians) are celebrating Easter on April 9, Eastern Orthodox Christians will mark the holiday one week later this year because of their different liturgical calendar.
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And, nearly 2 billion Muslims continue Ramadan
EARLIER, Stephanie reported on Ramadan 2023. And, yes, Stephanie includes links to some delicious recipes that many Muslim families enjoy when they break their fast after sunset each night.
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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com
From Our Authors—
Why pictures are important in studying American History
IN THIS WEEK’S Front Edge Publishing column, David Crumm recommends two books that are valuable for anyone wanting to learn American History—whether that’s as an ESL student preparing to become more engaged in American life or as a student simply hoping to pass rigorous American history classes. In both cases, learning about our shared history is a good deed. We’re all better off in these turbulent times if we have a shared understanding of what has brought our country to this point.
And, you may remember an earlier Front Edge column, inviting avid readers to come meet David Crumm over in the Goodreads community, a huge social media platform now owned by Amazon. In addition to David’s column in the Front Edge website, he also shares his thoughts about new books on Goodreads, including this review of a new Workman book about U.S. History. If you’re a regular reader of our online magazine, please feel free send David a “friend” request on Goodreads, too.
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Howard Brown and Shining Brightly
What is an ‘Iconic Life’?
THAT IS THE THEME of a national conference being held this week at a conference venue that’s part of Babson College in Massachusetts, the highly rated college that specializes in entrepreneurial studies—and is the alma matter of author Howard Brown. And, yes, he’s one of the speakers at this upcoming two-day event.
Since most of our readers don’t live near Massachusetts, Howard provides a podcast this week with the event’s host, Kris Whitehead, who also is an author and is the founder of a successful leadership-coaching business. This link will take you to Howard’s website, where you’ll find that podcast and more than a dozen earlier episodes as well.
And if you haven’t read Howard’s memoir, you’ll find it available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and hardcover editions.
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Click on this movie still to read Ed McNulty’s review of the fascinating World War II drama Operation Mincemeat.
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Faith & Film
ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.
Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:
- KNOCK AT THE CABIN—(Streaming on Peacock) Ed writes, “The stakes in director M. Night Shyamalan’s new film, based on the 2018 novel by Paul Tremblay, are high. In most horror films it is just the survival of the protagonists, but in this tale it is nothing less than the survival of the whole world.”
- OPERATION MINCEMEAT—(Streaming on Netflix) “For those of us who missed 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, Netflix’s current film, directed by John Gladden and adapted by Michelle Ashford from the book by Ben Macintyre, will introduce us to one of the great deceptions of WWII.”
- CREED III—(In theaters) “There is no trace of Rocky Balboa in this, the ninth installment of the franchise that began with 1976’s Rocky. Like the other films, this one is not just about boxing, but about the personal struggles of the man wearing the gloves.”
- CLOSE—(Streaming) “‘Close’ well describes the friendship of two Belgian boys in Lukas Dhont‘s heartbreaking film.”
- THE QUIET GIRL—(Streaming) “Irish director Colm Bairead, with his co-writer Claire Keegan (author of the book the film is based on) has given us a touching story of a young girl from a dysfunctional family provided a chance to blossom despite her distracted parents.”
- JESUS REVOLUTION—(In theaters and streaming) Ed McNulty sees thematic parallels between this fictionalized look back at the ’60s Jesus movement and the dance movie Footloose.
- ZORA NEALE HURSTON: CLAIMING A PLACE—(Streaming) This PBS-sponsored documentary is well worth streaming, Ed tells us.
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