Turning Points
April 8, 2020
This week brings in both Easter and Passover. And while we certainly can find some differences between these two holidays and what they represent, if we take another look we will see that they have a lot of similarities. I always love to honor what we have in common more than what divides us.
The Last Supper was a seder on the first night of Passover. Easter represents the resurrection of Jesus for Christians which symbolizes rebirth and new life and hope for the future. The Greek/Latin word for Easter is Pascha. Passover is also called Pesach in Hebrew. On the seder plate there is a Paschal Lamb shank to symbolize the marking that kept the angel of death from killing the first born sons. On Easter Sunday, children look for Easter Eggs which symbolize Jesus’ empty tomb. The seder plate also has an egg to symbolize the circle of life and renewal.
On Passover, Jews retell the story of the 10 plagues and their escape and transition out of Egypt. And aren’t we experiencing a plague of our own at this time? But what came after the plague? A new life, a rebirth and a new way of looking at the world. The Israelites had to let go of old belief systems that they were meant to be slaves and instead understand that they deserved freedom.
It is easy to look at both of these stories and call them catastrophes. Did you know that the word “catastrophe,” is a greek word that means “turning point?” When you are in the midst of a plague or a catastrophe or a crisis it is extremely hard to see the good in it. However, can you look back on some of your biggest challenges and see what good actually came out on the other side? Was it a turning point for you? Was it a rebirth of some kind?
What if we all looked at this “catastrophe,” that we are in and choose to make it a turning point?
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Today’s Suggested Practice
Today’s suggestion can be done through journaling, meditation, walking, praying or anything that helps you to go deep inside. Whatever you choose, contemplate where your own turning point might be and ask yourself these questions.
How could you use this time on your hands in isolation and quarantine to make a very small or big turning point in your life?
Are there any habits or belief systems you would love to change? Who or what could help you attain that?
Are there any relationships that need to change or mend?
Have you been hoping for a small or big career change of some sort? What would it take to do that?
Have you been wanting to take better care of yourself in any way? How is the balance of giving and receiving in your life?
Consider these or any others that come up for you during your exploration. Pinpoint one at a time, come up with a simple plan, begin to dream it and then take baby steps to get there.
Happy Catastrophizing !!!!
