SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Christian organizations don't generally hold feasts to celebrate the beginning of Passover, one of the most important times of the year in Judaism. On March 29, however, Yellowknife's Salvation Army held a Jewish feast known as a seder to mark Good Friday.
Capt. Ian Gillingham and Capt. Ruth Gillingham of the Salvation Army wanted to open people's eyes to the Jewish roots of Christian belief during their first Easter event in Yellowknife last weekend. - Sarah Ladik/NNSL photo |
"We wanted to go back to the roots of Christianity," said Capt. Ruth Gillingham, executive director of the NWT Resource Centre and The Bailey House. "Nowhere in the Bible does it say 'Easter.'"
Attended by around 20 people, the feast included stew, salad, and the Passover staple - matza, a type of unleavened bread.
While Gillingham explained the food wasn't entirely traditional - normally roast lamb, bitter herbs, and a paste of fruit and nuts are served - but other customs were observed, with participants reclining on the floor as opposed to seated at tables.
"We probably opened some eyes and exposed a few stereotypes," said Capt. Ian Gillingham, the second half of the husband-and-wife team at the Salvation Army and the organization's executive director of community services. "We condensed the seder to make it more family-friendly and it was very well received."
The seder itself is centred around the re-telling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt, with each food served signifying a specific aspect of that slavery. Participants recline on the floor instead of sitting at tables in celebration of freedom.
"Easter," on the other hand, hearkens back to the various names given to pagan goddesses of fertility and spring, whose symbols included eggs and rabbits.
Around AD 300, when the Roman Emperor Constantine was codifying Christianity, pagan rituals were incorporated into Church teachings, leaving modern Christians with chocolate bunnies as opposed to matza.
Ian is not satisfied with this situation. He argues that much of the Christian faith is founded on the Old Testament, which is essentially the story of the Jewish God.
"Unfortunately, in many settings, this church has been separated from its Jewish roots, and we need to work to understand them again," he said.
Ian and Ruth have plans to host another seder on Easter weekend next year as well.
