Palms of Truth
We all do this a lot don't we? We must, because we continually think that it is going to go that way. Without a ton of work, without too much effort, without changing things up at all, without any risk.
We're always hoping, and usually planning for that to be the way it goes. I'm sure it was part of the celebration that day when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. It looked like it was all about to happen. He had the colt -- just like the scripture prophesied. It was Passover -- they were remembering the resistance, the insurrection against the Pharoah.
They grabbed palms. Just like their people before them -- waved the palms to signal that it was about to begin. The palms, the colt, Passover, Jesus, saving Lazarus, healing so many -- it was all about to happen.
But it wasn't going to be easy after all. Following Him would require a whole lot more risk, a whole lot more to give up.
Last week CPAC, the conservative action group had their annual meeting. In a survey of CPAC attendees under age 30, a significant majority support gay marriage. They join the majority of Americans. It should be easy right, for the church to join them. To realize the injustice. To make it the way it should be.
How great would it be if it could just happen. No taking chances. No risk to your job . . . calling. If God's love and care and hope for all of us could just happen without putting ourselves out there -- without having to risk anything.
How great would it be if we could just go from Palm Sunday to Easter and skip the rest of the week. Not take any risks, just have it happen, have God's love prevail.
But we have this week ahead.
I've been thinking about this all week. Laughing at the truth that I always think things should go smoothly, am always taken by surprise when they don't and then finding myself muttering "Nothing's ever easy...nothing's ever simple." It's not like this has happened once. It happens over and over. Both in small things and in big things.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's no surprise I expect the same on my journey of faith. As a kid, I could not understand how Peter could be such a coward and deny Jesus, not once but three times. I would never do that! Then somewhere along the way I had a lot more empathy for Peter and how terrifying those days and weeks must have been for him. And I saw how I was doing the same thing, just in less obvious ways. Turns out that this "take up your cross daily" business is anything but easy and simple.
I love the reminder my kids' Sky VBS CD (currently playing in our house) brings: "Anything is possible. Everything is possible with God." A simple and easy reminder to live boldly.