Yes, symbiosis is a term used in biology. But, like many words, it has come to be used in other contexts. Symbiosis talks about a condition in which two things are associated, to the advantage of both.
I’m thinking about a symbiotic relationship between Holy Week and the other 51 weeks of the year. We spend one week intently focused on Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem. Yet, the whole of his ministry cannot be understood without Holy Week. It is in his suffering, death, and resurrection that Jesus’ ministry finds its purpose and vindication. Conversely, Holy Week cannot be understood properly without the context of Jesus’ ministry prior to his passion. To minimize one is to devalue the other.
This is my appeal to you to participate in Holy Week, beginning Sunday. We will gather for Palm Sunday, commemorating and celebrating Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem. Then on Good Friday, we’ll gather to observe his death, remembering that there cannot be a resurrection without a death. Finally, we’ll celebrate Jesus’ victory over death on Easter Sunday. Symbiotically, it’s the whole ball of wax. I urge you to be present for all three services.
See you Sunday (then Friday, then Sunday),
Paul