happy easter!

easter sunday
today is going to be one of those topsy turvy days. i cn feel it in my bones. ya - they're kinda achy from just having woke up the second time. i'd still be in bed if it weren't for the fact that the phone rang twice within a span of 10 minutes.

the first time we woke up this morning was to attend the sunrise service at duke gardens. everything was beautiful, from the music to the sermon to the sound of the birds chirping away at day break. and of course, we couldn't ask for a more lovely setting for sunrise than terraces of the sarah p duke gardens.

this was my second time attending the sunrise service. this time i was able to listen to most of the sermon. it was just too distractingly cold last year. i still remember how the hot steam from my tea kept condensing on my nose, which made it drip ... u get the drift. well, this morning was cold alright but of that variety that invigorates rather than debilitate.

He is risen!

good friday
easter, as i was reminded last weekend on palm sunday is more than just what takes place on easter sunday. we didn't go to all the events of this holy week as he recommended - but i did go to the 'stations of the cross service' on good friday. this was another beautiful yet very somber service which recalls the events beginning from the sentence and leading up to Christ's crucifixion. various 'stations' were set up around duke chapel marked by flag bearing lecterns. the people/congregation was led by a minister from station to station where relevant passages were read. it was all i could do to hold my tears back while reading scripture as we walked toward each station to the background of a mournful sounding trumpet.





purim/shabbat
that evening, we attended the jewish celebration of purim (that was held in conjunction with shabbat/sabath). this celebration commemorates how God through esther saved the israelites from genocide at the hands of haman. a jewish friend joked about how the common theme of all jewish holidays are: 1.enemies of the jews plot to kill them 2. God saves them 3.they celebrate with a big feast. yay! happy ending :)

easter today is celebrated with chocolate eggs and hot cross buns. i was sad to learn that easter used to be a treacherous time for the jews during the middle ages because christians would seek out and kill jews in mistaken belief that they were responsible for Christ's death.

attending shabbat was an eye-opening experience. i was happy to break challah bread and drink wine with the people of the book. okm had to wear a skull cap. and i came away with so many thoughts to chew on. on religion. on God. His people. our relationship with each other.