The Cathedral Church of the Nativity
Sunday March 29, 2015- Palm Sunday
The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa
Perhaps
some of you are of a generation where you remember the experience of hearing
about or seeing newsreels of Hitler’s army marching in lockstep in victory
formation into conquered and now occupied cities throughout Europe. The victory
formations and entries in lockstep an almost liturgical act to display
dominance and ring in a new era, a new regime. Hitler is King.
You
might understand then the experience of the Jewish people in first century
Palestine who had grown accustomed to Caesar’s army in victory processions
throughout their territories and in Jerusalem, in lock step, a display of
dominance and declaration of powerful ruling authority. Caesar is King
You
can appreciate then the powerful and courageous action of an itinerant preacher
latching on to the most radically opposite symbol of Caesar’s power, a humble
ass, and riding in victory formation into Jerusalem to the desperate,
hope-filled, acclamations of a people hoping for a different power in their
lives. A new era, a new regime- --Jesus is
King. The Kingdom of God—A Kingdom and King dramatically different than the one
occupying Jerusalem, that of Caesar’s.
This
week then, Holy Week. This life then,
our Christian lives as followers of Jesus, is about that Kingdom! The Kingdom
of God! The one we wave palm branches in hope for. The one that finds its way
in the world not through domination, or war, or violence, but through
sacrifice, and mercy, through generosity and forgiveness, through Agape.
To
this Kingdom then, can we expect to rejoice, give our loyalty, our behavior
following our “belief” in it.
Nancy Rockwell in her weekly blog entitled
“The bite in the apple” reminds us that Jesus triumphant ride into Jerusalem is
God’s challenge to the kingdoms of this world asking “have you considered the
What if’s?”
She
writes…….
“Don’t
like the powers that be? What if God were the ruler here?”
“Tired
of hearing bad news about murder, hopelessness, angry young men choosing to be
terrorists? What if this is God’s
Kingdom?” What does it look like then?
“Angry
about taxes?” What if God, not Caesar were asking you to “cough” it up? What would the cost be then?”
“What
if a person was lying on the side of the road all beat up? Or what if some poor
soul had lost their way to addiction, or poverty, or homelessness, like a lost
sheep or coin? What if some shady businessman or woman known for taking
advantage of others suddenly found their way into this Cathedral looking for
some connection to another way?” (end)
What
if- What if- What if we believed, in the spirit that belief is putting our
trust and faith, our heart and our treasure, our words and our deeds that it is
God’s Kingdom that at the end of the day is the one that has power and is
worthy of our allegiance? Power in our
world, power in this worshiping community, power in our lives?
What
if?
