Someone once said, “I’m not afraid of death. It’s the dying part I don’t like.”
That’s true for most of us. It’s the dying that we’re afraid of. And Holy Week has a lot of dying. Remembering the betrayal, false accusation, and the crucifixion causes us to tremble. But the dying actually begins as we enter the week with shouts of “Hosanna” and palm branches in our hands.
This year during Holy Week, are we ready to let die any notion that our goodness, our right behavior, can save us or make us right with God? Are we prepared to honestly admit that we don’t always look for Jesus in other people, and we don’t always let people see Jesus in us? Are we ready to die within ourselves and in our actions, die to our prejudices, blind spots, fears, and insecurities? Something must die to make room for rebirth.
This message is excerpted from “The meaning of ‘Hosanna!’” by Julia Seymour in the March/April 2022 Gather magazine. Today is Palm Sunday.
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