The Upload
Posted on Mar 18, 2016 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I pray you have had a blessed week.
As I write this note, it is early Thursday morning, it is St. Patrick’s Day and although there are some fun stories in the news about St. Patrick’s Day, the majority of the news is filled with stories about our government and how it can’t seem to function, as it should. Today, our government is fighting over nominating a new Supreme Court justice. The television screen is filled with politicians calling each other names and ridiculing other people and groups that most of them have never met or have no relationship with. And to top it all off, I watched a video of a man at a gas station who was shouting racial slurs at two immigrants and physically pushing them because they were different from him.
And as I watched all this, I was saddened and struck by the notion that in the midst of all of this, we are about to enter Holy Week. Yes, this Sunday, March 20, is Palm Sunday. We will begin worship on Sunday by remembering Jesus’ joyful and triumphant entry into Jerusalem. According to all the gospel writers when Jesus finally enters Jerusalem he enters with crowds cheering him on with shouts of praise and enthusiasm. But that joy and celebrating didn’t last long. In fact, depending on which gospel story you read, it may not have even lasted the whole day. Quickly, the reality of the world, a violent and economically challenged world, set in. Jesus entered the temple and upset the leadership because they were not treating the temple as a house of prayer. Secular leaders feared a riot and an uprising because so many Jews had gathered. And the Jews, most of who were impoverished and could not seem to get their voice heard, desperately wanted to find a leader who would bring real, life-giving, change. But, the one they thought would bring that change and who actually would end up bringing that change, Jesus, quickly maked it clear his way of bringing change would be different and so they turned on him. Thus, in Holy Week we quickly turn from joy and enthusiasm, to fear, rebellion, violence, and death.
As we prepare to enter Holy Week, my prayer is that we each find the time to contemplate Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Just three months ago we celebrated Jesus’ birth and God’s willingness to become human. As we have learned since then God did this, God revealed his will for us through Jesus, because God loves us (John 3:16). So, as we reflect on Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, our challenge is to see that Jesus’ desire for our lives is that we not follow the ways of this world.
If we are going to be people of the resurrection, then we cannot be pulled into all this bickering and name calling that we see all over the news. We cannot turn our backs on the poor and the immigrant. We cannot seek to change the world with violence and anger, but instead we are called to lead with patience, kindness, and love as our Lord did. This is how Jesus lived and Holy Week reminds us that although the world may turn on us, violence and anger will not win; no, not even death will win.
I pray can join us next week as we celebrate the Passion of Christ on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday worship and Easter morning worship, but if you can’t, I hope you will find the time to reflect on the Passion Story (Luke 22:14-23:56) and come to realize that you are a child of the resurrection and as such, you are called to be different and to stand up for the poor, the marginalized, the hungry, the immigrant and all who are in need and we do that not with violence; not with anger, not with name calling, but with love because you have a LORD who loves you that way.
Have a blessed Holy Week!
Shalom,
Pr. Dave