Palm Sunday

Some of the familiar stories from Scripture are included in Palm Sunday. Today we did a dramatic reading from the gospel of Luke. I was the narrator, so the teller of the story. My colleague was Jesus, and some folks from the parish were Pilate, Peter, theives, etc. What was a bit of a surprise to me was the emotion I felt as we read through this story. No preaching, just reading (re-telling) the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem, then on through the Passover, the trial, and his death. I have struggled over the years with who Jesus is - savior, sage, wisdom? But even in the midst of those struggles, there has always been something that has drawn me to Jesus. Maybe it's the radical acceptance of those most unacceptable in the society of his time. Maybe it's the way he spoke with integrity and honesty when challenged by the powers of his time. Surely, his healing and power that is apparent in scripture. As I think of Thomas needing to see Jesus' hands and feel his scars to believe, I think I have some of Thomas in me. I don't know that I'll ever answer all my questions about Jesus and who he really is, but in the radical acceptance that Christ meets Thomas - I believe he meets me. And so I ponder all these things in my heart as I go through my days. I know that I feel very grounded and connected in God's love and that Christ is an integral part of that grounding.