Holy Days of Passover and Easter are fast approaching

For millions of devout Jews and Christians in the world, the major holy days of Passover and Easter are getting closer.

Speaking as a Christian pastor and chaplain, one of the most important religious holidays for Christian believers will occur in the next few weeks. According to many Christian churches worldwide, the season of Lent is the observance of the liturgical calendar year from Ash Wednesday and reaching its culmination with the celebration of Easter Sunday.

During the season of Lent, many Christians often fast from food or abstain from normal activities in their regular routine. A key purpose to this spiritual exercise is so one can take the extra time to pray and examine one’s life so they can better follow the life of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Whether you follow or believe in this practice, I believe there are still great benefits for people taking time from their busy lives to “fast awhile” from all the sensory overload they deal with every day. From ubiquitous cell phones ringing, texting, or e-mails we respond to back and forth every day, there is less time for us to think about something greater than the next deadline or project due in our in box.

One of my favorite spiritual authors is Father Henri Nouwen. Here he wonderfully removes the froth and distraction about the busyness of life in this insightful quote. He writes, “This brief lifetime is my opportunity to receive love, deepen love, grow in love and give love.”

There will always be another deadline when your current assignment ends. Likewise, there is another big project with your name on it already. In the meantime, are you taking the time to do an inventory of what is really important in your life? Likewise, do you try to stop along the way to thank God for that with which He has already blessed you?

In the big schemes of things, isn’t life about showing love and gratitude to the ones you care for? For many patriotic Americans I know, for example, it is about showing the love and gratitude for all the returning veterans coming back from overseas. I think it is just a matter of slowing down our lives a bit so we can figure out what is going on around us.

I hope you all will have truly spiritually blessed Holy Days in the upcoming months!