Go to, Enter in, Do with, Listen to the Community:
A Palm Sunday Reflection
Today we commemorate Palm Sunday. Each one of the gospels has a narrative for that moment. And although the stories somewhat correspond with each other, each narrative is distinct. Many of us, especially those of us who have been Christians for a long time, may have not noticed that in Luke’s (19:28-40) narrative there was one element missing, an element that has become core to our liturgical celebration. There are no palms or fronds in Luke’s retelling of this story.
“We are a people who believe in the power of love and life because our sacred texts remind us that the divine will overcome the power of death, of marginalization, and of disenfranchisement.”
The moment we commemorate, however, has very little to do with palms. Liturgically, we mark the beginning of the passion journey of Jesus – the series of events that lead to the betrayal, arrest, trial, torture, and death of Jesus. The passion journey is a very difficult one to embark on. To settle down for days this week, observe in reading and hearing the Scriptures read what Jesus taught, and what happened through him, especially on Thursday and Friday, is a contemplation many of us (and I will include myself) would rather avoid.
However, as a pastor, a teacher, and a believer my best advice will continue to be to travel this journey slowly and intentionally. We believe in a risen Christ. I make no mistake about it. And I will also make no mistake that the reason we believe in a risen Christ, in a God that is Lord over death and life, is because Jesus traveled this journey with us, for us, and on our behalf. And this makes for a very complicated and painful journey. We are a people who believe in the power of love and life because our sacred texts remind us that the divine will overcome the power of death, of marginalization, and of disenfranchisement. Overcoming happens in the journey. And today Christians begin the journey of remembrance of how our Lord overcame death and the systems of poverty and racism.
This is the second Palm Sunday in pandemic. The pandemic has led people of faith to find ways to continue an engaged life of communal worship and discipleship. It continues to be a space of, both, creativity, and complexity. We can’t ignore that many of us would like for things to go back to how they were in 2019 (and even before, in the 20th century). The news that things will never be the same post-pandemic is good for some, and daunting to many. And the journey to overcoming everything that the pandemic has revealed is broken and wrong in the world begins with the first step. The lesson this morning calls us to make that first step by following the lead of Jesus.
“Can you imagine a witness ... to a community under pressure by powers of poverty, racism, and marginalization, a witness that is so powerful because we went to the community and listened ... the reaction of a whole community of disciples of love, peace, and justice to be to rejoice!”
21 centuries after Jesus, however, suggest a very important question – who is the voice of Jesus calling us today to make that first step? That question should give us pause. And the most important pause, perhaps, is that of the voice in our mind. In a time when opinion is confused with fact, and excel sheets, procedures, and raw data are confused with wisdom, we will do good with pausing. Let me say that one more time. Pause. Not slowing down. Pause.
As we pause, let us give ourselves the opportunity to listen to the voices and happenings around us. If we are able to quiet our internal voices in order to listen to the voices around us, we will be able to engage with those we love and those who make up the larger community. Jesus’ command to the disciples was not only to do, but to listen. Verse 30 and 31 narrates the instructions by Jesus:
Go into the village over there. When you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say, ‘Its master needs it.’”
Go to the community. Enter the community. Do in and with the community. Listen to the community. And if anyone asks, say “the teacher needs it.”
As we begin the passion journey this week, we are called to go into the city, to enter the city, to do and be in and with the community. And as we do and are in the community, we are also called to listen, for there might be an important question, an insight from the community about what and why we think we are witnessing to Jesus the way we are. It is through listening, engaging in conversation, allowing our witness to be questioned and engaged by the community that we will find the most effective and transforming way to live out our witness to the love of God for our community.
And the text begins to show us just how powerful listening to the community can and will be to our witness to Jesus. Verse 37 says that as Jesus began approaching the city, “a throng of his followers began rejoicing.” Can you imagine a witness to Jesus to a community under pressure by the powers of poverty, racism, and marginalization, a witness that is so powerful because we went to the community and listened, a witness so powerful that such listening and engagement will make disciples of those we serve, a witness so powerful that each one of us, followers and disciples of Jesus will see the moments when Jesus is present, with and among us that our reaction? Can we imagine the reaction of a whole community of disciples of love, peace, and justice to be to rejoice! And to rejoice with words of blessing and peace and glory!
Are we listening to the community? Are we engaging with the community? Let’s join Jesus in the passion journey with the first step – listening with and alongside the community. I believe that following faithfully this instruction of Jesus will lead to the manifestation of joy in our community. Schenectady deserves joy. And it can begin with us on Palm Sunday.