The celebration of the Passover—that is, the "passing over" or crossing through the Sea to the liberation of the enslaved people (cf. Exod. 14–15), must be understood within the context of the plagues directed against the Pharaonic system.

The plagues undermined the Pharaonic system on all many levels; firstly in its religious ideology – the magicians. Secondly the & quot;comfort" of the ruling class symbolised by frogs was under attack. Frogs were believed to bring abundance, appearing with the annual flooding of the Nile and linked to the frog-headed Egyptian goddess of abundance – representing the Egyptians’ reliance on their own wealth. Thirdly, the economy was undermined (polluted waters, hail, flies, livestock disease, locusts, gnats), fourthly social relations were destroyed (darkness), and finally the political continuity of that ruling class (the firstborn), as detailed in Exodus 7:8–11:10. We can say that the plagues with which the exploited people were enslaved turned against their enslavers.

The first Passover takes place "in the land of Egypt," while the people are still in slavery (Exodus 12:1). It marks a new era in which the suffering both of the people and of the land is overcome (Exodus 12:2). The Festival of the Lamb is followed by the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15–20), signalling the resolution of the historic conflict between herders and farmers (cf. Genesis 4: Cain, the farmer, and Abel, the herder).

Overcoming slavery, as well as the exploitation and destruction of the environment, requires – in the revelation of the Liberating God – overcoming all forms of violence. The blood of the Lamb (Exodus 12:7–14) – used as an image of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. This sacrifice was not just for humanity but for all of creation as seen in Revelation 5:12–13 where “every creature in heaven and on earth” bows before the Lamb who was slain.

Here it symbolised also the end of oppression; just as in Revelation 7:14–17. We read that those who have come out of the great tribulation will serve God and “never again will they hunger or thirst and the sun will not beat down on them” No more will they bebeaten by oppressive overlords but the Lamb will be their shepherd and he will bring them “to springs of living water and wipe every tear from their eyes.”

In the Lambeth Calls of 2022, the Anglican Communion, acknowledged all the suffering caused by modern slavery and colonialism: “The legacies of colonialism, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and other abuses of power continue to impact our communities. Some have been enriched and some impoverished.

International economic systems, built upon unjust structures of exploitation, have created dehumanizing conditions. (Human Dignity – Affirmation) The enslavement of people – and all forms of violence, death, and destruction perpetrated by human beings – is reflected in the environment.

As the Lambeth Calls also affirm, this same system of profit and exploitation drives the depletion of natural resources and the destruction of ecosystems and life on Earth:
Humanity needs a spiritual and cultural transformation. We must see the world differently: repenting of and rejecting an extractive world view, which regards the earth and all nature as something to be exploited, and embracing instead a relational
worldview, at the heart of Christ’s teaching. This is espoused especially by indigenous peoples, who see the profound interdependence of all creation (The environment and sustainable development. Affirmation 3.3).

Today, life on Earth finds itself enslaved by a system of profit and the irresponsible exploitation of natural resources, a situation aggravated by wars, genocides, and violence against individuals and peoples (especially Indigenous peoples).
The Easter of Jesus Christ—the new Passover Lamb of Life, Justice, Love, and Peace – is still celebrated on a wounded earth, amidst the suffering of humanity and all creation.
Jesus, in his Easter calls upon us – just as it did the People of God in ancient times – to prepare ourselves to cross the waters of ​​those social, economic, political, and religious sins that have left the planet in its current state.

A Catholic Mass written in 1978 called the “Mass of the Land without Evil” – designed as a prophetic intercultural liturgy, denouncing centuries of colonial violence against
indigenous Guarani people contains these words:
“Celebrating the Lord’s Easter, we sing of the victory of all humanity. Tribes from across the Earth, peoples of every age, in the Lord’s flesh, all flesh comes to life. Thus, we share in the quest for a Land Without Evil. Freed from the first captivity, we sing of the passage. Singing, we cross the new Red Sea of ​​your Blood; singing, we share the bread of freedom” (Pedro Casaldáliga).

Living the Easter in the horizon of the new life.

What are the forms of “slavery” and violence that must be overcome on this side of the waters, where the cry of the earth and of peoples deprived of water is still heard? We are peoples and creatures whose lives are threatened by social, economic, political, and even religious systems that continue to promote war, death, and destruction. Where shall we go? Shall we head toward a new land of justice, love, and peace? What actions can help us organize for this new journey across the waters?