"Waving the Palms"

I have wonderful memories of the Palm Sundays of my childhood.  Small children dressed in white robes with huge black bows, waving palm branches that seemed much bigger than we were tall.  It was a grand sight.  We proudly led the choir down the aisles of the sanctuary.  After it was all over, my palm branch always found itself in a place of honor in our home… on our old upright piano that was once my Granddaddy Murdock’s piano.  And, I insisted that my mother keep it watered for I wanted it to remain green for as long as possible.  Did we know why we were waving the palm branches then?  I'm not sure that we did.  We were caught up in the excitement of the day.  And to be honest, do we as adults know why wave the palms?  Do we just consider Palm Sunday the beginning of Holy Week without looking closely at the kind of messiah the crowds of Jerusalem were expecting to see… or the type of messiah that we expect or desire ourselves?

Perhaps as we begin our journey with Palm Sunday and into Holy Week, we should question ourselves as to who this Jesus is who has come riding into our lives?  Have we molded him into what we expect him to be and then become confused or dismayed as he doesn't fit our ways or agendas?   Have our traditions become so anticipated that we don't take the time to look beyond the palms and into the heart of Jesus?

 Holy Week is a challenge for us all, as Easter people, to rediscover the emotions, the teachings, the intimacy of the last meal with Jesus and the disciples, the betrayals and denials, the suffering and the darkness of grief.  This is the final leg of our journey before the tremendous joy of Easter and the brilliance of its promise.  We should take every opportunity to follow Jesus’ same path into Jerusalem beginning with the quest to find out why we wave the palms.

May you experience Palm Sunday with fresh eyes!