Maundy Thursday

Part I.

It was Maundy Thursday for us Christians

And the day before Passover for our Jewish

Friends and our church back home had a near

Full house we were told for the Seder which

Meant twelve people. I asked my friend how

It went and he said fine.  It was his first Seder

Ever and he thought it went on a bit long but

Because it was his only Seder, he didn’t know

If that was to be expected.  I asked if there was

An empty chair for Elijah and he said there

Were two empty chairs – one for Elijah and one

For me even though I was two thousand miles

Away. I said that was nice and had a glass of wine

Anyway. He said that because he was there and

There were only eleven others, he guessed that

Made him a disciple.  I suggested Judas. He laugh-

Ed his infectiously, Falstaffian, belly laugh and

Said they wanted to keep things light, so after they

Sang some light-hearted hymns, Judas told an off-

Color joke after which the other eleven just shook

Their heads while staring straight down at the re-

Maining scraps of matzoh on their plates, and no-

Body paid him thirty-pieces of silver for the joke.

 

Part II.

 

It was the day of Passover eve for our Jewish

Friends and Maundy Thursday for us Christians

When my wife and I stopped by the condo of

Our recently widowed secular Jewish friend to

Ask if she wanted to go to lunch the following

Tuesday, the only free day we had before leaving

For home and to tell her that we wouldn’t see her for

Seven more months, Lord willin’ and the creek don’t

Rise.  She begged off telling us that she couldn’t go

Because it was the continuation of the holiest time.

There are Christmas and Easter Only Christians, at

Least One Passover Only Jew that I now know of

And I’m sure some Ramadan Only Muslims and

Something-Or-Other Only Hindus, Buddhists and

Shintos, for that matter, too.  Are there High Holy,

Or perhaps more accurately, Unholy Only Atheists

Who for the rest of the year are just ordinary, run

Of the mill agnostics like so many of the rest of us?