The last supper of Jesus, with his followers, was a Passover Seder. Tomorrow evening is the Passover Seder. Easter Sunday, this year, is a few days later. Jesus preached peace, protecting the weak, welcoming the stranger, being always ready to forgive those who act hatefully toward you. Christians believe that the crucifixion of Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice and demonstration of love and acceptance from the most humble and pure being who ever walked the earth — God’s son. Jesus was willing to painfully give his life to redeem mankind from hatred and war. On Easter Sunday, the New Testament tells us, Jesus rose from the dead and went back to sit at the right hand of his heavenly father.

There are many beautiful, awe-inspiring stories out there that explain mysteries humans can’t otherwise understand. I think about this as my little seven year-old neighbor is suddenly very curious about God, saints and the like. She’s drawn to the local church (partly for the free Lent merch, baby saints on cute keychains). She was surprised to learn that humans worship many gods, after I gave her two Hindu examples. She wasn’t that impressed by Hanuman, the monkey-headed god I mentioned to her, but she seemed fascinated by Ganesh, the beloved elephant-headed deity. She recalled the elephant-headed god days later and demanded pictures, which led to many questions. Humans have always had a longing for a transcendent story, particularly one that gives meaning to death and makes our puzzling stay here on this often incoherently violent earth part of a holy mission from an all-knowing, all-loving creator.

Long wars between various religious factions, often worshippers of the very same God, wars that last centuries, have long been the human rule here on earth. The chief spokesmen for religious purity (and they’re usually men) don’t always take the teachings of their religion as literally as they expect their followers to take their authoritative interpretations of religious doctrine. Take the Evangelicals in the United States, good Christians who passionately embrace faith and unquestioningly accept the absolute power of a corrupt, criminal, irreligious maniac, for its own ends. In this schema, Jesus was the Prince of Peace, maybe (certainly certain limitations apply to who deserves peace). Here’s Pete Hegseth on what his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ wants from the US military:

Yesterday Michelle Boorstein of the Washington Post reported that former high-ranking military officials, experts on religion and law, and veterans groups, as well as current Pentagon staff and officers, have expressed deep concern over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s extremist evangelical worship services and his casting of the U.S. military as a force for Christian holy war. Last Wednesday he prayed for U.S. troops to assert “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy,” saying: “We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ.” source