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Soon we will celebrate Palm Sunday, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, our entry into Holy Week. On that day, the crowds cried out “Hosanna!” or “Save Us!”
They cried out with in hope that a Messiah had come to save them from oppression. They cried out to the One who had defied the occupying government terrorizing them and the religious leaders laying heavy burdens on them. As they entered one gate, Pontius Pilate and the Roman army entered the other.
As we prepare in 10 days to reenact that humble, jumbled, confusing procession, we face a government striking fear into and threatening its citizens.
We follow the humble Christ who lifts up the lowly, calls us “friend,” and honors the image of God in each of us. We who follow that One must speak up when the dignity of others is being violated.
We cannot stand silently by as people are disappeared, humiliated, lied about.
Our government has rounded up immigrants and sent them to a foreign prison that prides itself on humiliating and demoralizing prisoners and where their families and lawyers cannot find them. It has vanished international students, removing them from their communities to prisons faraway in Louisiana because they have expressed political opinions. It has destroyed our humanitarian aid around the world and claimed, “No one is dying.”
We who follow Jesus tell the truth. We who follow the Crucified One stand up when others are being crucified.
There are many ways to do this, some of which are listed below. Please participate as you can and help to plan how we respond.
On the night before he died for us, Jesus told Peter that he prayed “that your faith may not fail.” May our faith not fail now.
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