Palm Sunday, a melodrama ignored… or not? – Br. Curtis Almquist
Br. Curtis Almquist
What’s in the news? What political calamity is happening? On the cusp of Palm Sunday, what garners the attention of the general public is not Jesus, but rather the reports from various sources about all the political machinations – who is in and who is not – and the endless conflicts between various camps. Meanwhile the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Truth be told, Palm Sunday hardly gets noticed by most people, including the Roman and Jewish authorities.
I’m talking here about the original Palm Sunday, two thousand years ago. What garners the attention of the general public is not Jesus, but rather the reports from various sources about all the political machinations – who is in and who is not – and the endless conflicts between various camps. Meanwhile the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Truth be told, Palm Sunday hardly gets noticed by most people, including the Roman and Jewish authorities.
Does it not sound all-too-familiar? There are so many parallels to the politics and strife today. Here and now, for us to connect with Jesus, there is certainly no need to wait until all is calm, all is bright. On our Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter, we meet Jesus amidst so much strife in his own world, and Jesus meets us amidst so much strife in our own world. It’s a perfect meeting point.
In Jesus’ day, the despair about what was going on was bad enough to make Jesus weep with despair as he looked out over Jerusalem. If you are in a tough way just now – like so many are – with your heart full of sorrow, or strain, or fear given everything that is happening around us and happening within you, Jesus will compassionately understand your own fears and your own tears.[i] Meet up with Jesus, meeting up with you.
[i] Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 19:41-44.
A sure ‘attention-getter’ for me! Thank you, Br Curtis.
Thank you, Brother Curtis.