This Sunday is Palm Sunday, when we remember that Jesus rode into Jerusalem, praised as a king. In fact, the only crown that Jesus ever wore was a crown of thorns. People wanted him to be a great warrior, a superhero. But Christ refused to be a warrior or a superhero; he knew that such ideas of “greatness” only bring out the worst in us and reinforce the borders of suspicion and fear which separate us and prevent us from loving each other.
We live in a divided world, and it was this division which led Jesus to the Cross; he died not because God demanded that he die there, but because through the Cross, God in Christ, shares our suffering, experiences the sin of the world, and reaches out to hold us in love. Through the Cross, Christ rejects the divisions of the world and brings us together.
During our United Service we focused on the Cross, remembering all who are crucified with Christ today; those who are rejected by their society or by religion, as well as victims of prejudice, war, poverty, and the greed of others. Everybody was invited to stick prayers and images, in recognition of Christ’s all-embracing love.
On Easter Day the Cross will transform again…
