28 March

Dear Friends,

We have reached the end of our Lenten season. We stand with Jesus at the gate of Jerusalem. Now, all that remains is entering. We know where this road leads. Sure, it will feel joyful at first. We will wave our branches and shout, “hosanna!”, but deep down we might wonder if it is all truly worth it.

Like Sunday’s reading from Matthew’s gospel tells us, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, “the whole city was in turmoil.” We might feel the same way about our cities and towns, and like them, we might rightly ask, “who is this?” Who is the man coming on the donkey? Who is this strange man, with these strange followers, who proclaim salvation (!) when all we experience is turmoil?

Entering Holy Week requires some preparation. We are invited to join Jesus’ procession, throw our garments on the path before him, and ready our hearts for something new. There are at least two other options: we could join Pilate’s display of power and strength on the other side of the city. Chances are good that he had a mighty procession with shiny swords and showhorses. Who could blame Pilate’s crowd? At least they could see the military might, which may rekindle their hopes. The second option is to turn away, to not join any procession. To simply say, “I’ve seen enough of it.” To go indoors, make yourself a cup of tea, and ignore what’s happening in the streets. Again, who could blame the hopeless? Who could blame those unwilling to lay down their anxieties and fears in front of yet another promising Messiah? Indeed, “who is he?” anyway?

Where are you at the start of this Holy Week? How will you respond to Jesus riding into Jerusalem?

Ruth Burgess offers the following prayer of preparation for Holy Week:

We tell your story
We follow in your footsteps
LEAD US INTO HOLY WEEK

We walk towards the city
We wait in the garden
LEAD US ONTO HOLY GROUND

We journey towards death
We hope for resurrection
LEAD US INTO HOLY JOY

Marius Louw