Sunday, March 28 – Psalm 122 – By Rev. Maya Landell

Peace March

Zechariah 9:9-10
Rejoice gently, O daughter of Zion.
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
Triumphant and victorious is he,
Humble and riding on a donkey,
On a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war-horse from Jerusalem;
And the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the river to the ends of the earth.

There are so many images associated with Palm Sunday, like Jesus riding on that donkey, children and adults swinging palms and proclaiming “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus proclaimed a third way, a way of peace and justice for all. He proclaimed a way that eventually got him killed for standing up against power and empire.

He welcomed the dawn of an uprising – a cleansing of the temple, a proclamation of Good News, a call to all of creation to stand on the side of those who have no voice and those who are vulnerable and marginalized. And the really amazing thing is he did this in a non-violent way, modelling for the many other peace marches that have followed his lead; knowing the risks and yet walking the road anyway.

Today is full of stories of surprises, table turning, heightened emotions and expectations, strong characters, and places of power within the city of Jerusalem. At each turn, we’re invited to look through a peace lens at Jesus’ actions and words, and at how people respond to him throughout the day. There is a sense of anticipation in the air, and as Brian D. McLaren writes in We Make the Road by Walking:

“It has been quite a day, a Sunday we’ll never forget, the beginning of a week we’ll never forget. What a wild mix of emotions! What a collection of dramatic moments! As we fall asleep, we ponder this: to be alive is to learn what makes for peace. It’s not more weapons, more threats, more fear. It’s more faith, more freedom, more hope, more love, more joy. Blessed is the one that comes in the name of the Lord.”(p. 151) Hosanna!

Prayer: Holy One, as we step into your story this week, move us to you way of Peace. Transform us from the inside out and open us to see and act differently. We choose you Christ of the wounded way and we will walk this road with you, Amen.