Provocative, he is.
Perhaps not a warrior on a horse;
Yet even a donkey rider in a Passover crowd
is bound to attract attention.
And he did.
They reach high
snapping leafy branches from the trees.
They bend low
throwing cloaks on the path before him.
Hosanna!
Voices rise in expectation.
Blessed is the one who comes.
Voices fall in hopeful awe.
Evocative, he is.
Not a conqueror full of self
Just a donkey rider
stripped to bare essence.
In the words of what might be the oldest hymn of Christian faith:
“Christ, though in the image of God,
didn’t deem equality with God
something to be clung to –
but instead became completely empty
and took on the image of oppressed humankind:
born into the human condition,
found in the likeness of a human being.” – Philippians 2:6-7 (Inclusive Bible)
Jesus, Evocative
Calling out our yearning
as we stretch for hosannas.
Inviting our yielding, our softening, our releasing
as he comes alongside.
This is it.
This is how we enter this week:
Yearning and Yielding.
Reaching and Releasing.
Stripping and Emptying.
There is
a lot
riding
on this moment.
See also:
Not Just Back Then
Love Riding On
