This season is an incredibly important one in many religious calendars around the world. Yesterday millions of Christians celebrated Easter, next Sunday our Orthodox Christian family celebrates Pascha, we are entering into the last and most holy 10 days of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Friday is the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi, the Tamil New Year, and the Jain festival of Mahavir Jayanthi. We are also in the midst of the Jewish festival of Passover, celebrating the move from oppression to redemption and liberation. Every Passover we tell the story of the Exodus, when the Israelites are brought out of enslavement in the land of Egypt into freedom. We are commanded to tell the story as though we ourselves are being freed from bondage, that we ourselves are experiencing the sweet taste of freedom. But we are also reminded each year of the vision of collective liberation, that this liberation requires action from all of us, but also holding onto the hope and belief that things will get better. I think of the Aboriginal artist, activist and elder Lilla Watson who taught, “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” In a time in which it seems like society is full of scenes of division and the loss of hope feels palpable, I pray instead we can realize our shared humanity and envision a better future for everyone. This year may we all work together for collective liberation. As we said last week in our Passover seders, “This year we are enslaved, next year we will be free people.”