Thoughts on Palm Sunday

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ!

You will remember how we celebrated this worship service together last year and how we entered with palm branches in the beginning. A tradition that, at least in Protestant churches in Germany, we are not familiar with. I like it. I like this custom. It makes this Sunday special among the Sundays of the year. With this special tradition, this Sunday is clearly distinguished from all others. These days, when so much is no longer happening, I realize how important it is that we have a rhythm in our lives.

We stand with the palm branches in hand, symbolically joining the Jerusalemites who greet Jesus. We are bridging a gap of almost 2000 years.

During my time as a pastor in Russia, I got to know a different custom. Instead of the palm branches, which do not grow there on the roadside (similarly to here), people take willow branches. Consequently, this Sunday is not called Palm Sunday, but Willow-Sunday. There is also a procession in Russia, but with willow branches in hand. At this time of year, the branches don’t have green leaves yet, but the gray, fluffy buds that we call willow catkins do.

A very fitting idea, I think. The willow branches are a sign of a special understanding of the gospel. If you like, they are a successful translation. What is read in the gospel, and we find this narrative of entering Jerusalem in all four gospels of the Bible, is transferred to the respective local conditions. Jesus moves to Jerusalem. He is greeted like a king. This is also evident from the fact that he is riding a donkey that was then considered the beast of kings.

People are happy that Jesus comes to them. They only understand later that he is a very, very different king than they expected. It doesn’t take long. But his power, even if it is completely different from behaviour of those in power at Jesus’ time (and our time), still frightens. At least it frightens those who are afraid they could lose privileges. We know how it will end. As Christians we greet him who comes. We shout, at least in thought “Hosanna!” – “Help!” We expect help from him. Help in what troubles us. Help in a world that is horribly reminded that our human abilities (in this case, medical) is limited. We keep forgetting that too easily. But we also learn that the power of the weak is stronger than we might think. At least I have the impression that gestures of humanity, care, the power of the so-called small gestures, which is becoming stronger these days. We notice how much we rely on community, on contacts with our fellow human beings. We know that everyone feels the same way.

So we want to welcome our king, the king of the powerless. In our city, with our means, in our time. He directs our gaze to those who are so easily overlooked.

We shout, like back then “Hosanna!” – “Help me!” and we also shout, like the people back then, “Praise be there!”

So, if you don’t have any palm branches in the house, you can also take willow branches and decorate your room in memory of the fact that he, Jesus Christ comes to us. You are also more than welcome to get creative in embracing the power or the weak.

I wish you a blessed Holy Week!

Ihr Pastor Friedrich Demke

Likely most of you know how to make a cross from a palm leaf. For those who don‘t here is help.