Palm Sunday has always struck me as a picture of the human condition. We, in today's world, think we would never be as fickle as the Jews were who were welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. A little explanation. The reason we celebrate Palm Sunday is that it signifies the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city, as the Jewish inhabitants of that day cheered him as their deliverer. However, they thought he was going to deliver them from the Romans. He had something else in mind. In a week they were crying for him to be crucified.
As they waved their palm fronds and sang their songs, I thought about the recent victory of Butler University in NCAA basketball. I'm not basketball fan, by any means, but it struck me how easily those palm fronds could be foam fingers and college flags.
If Butler would have lost, we would have turned on them like a den of vipers, right? We are fickle. We like the winner.
When Jesus went to the cross, they thought he was a loser, so they turned away. When he convicted them of their sins, it got uncomfortable, so they turned away. Thanks be to God, not all did, or where would we be today?
I don't claim to be a great theologian, or even an expert on the human condition, but I have eyes. I can see how people are. I can see how I am. I'm fickle too. I fight against it, but I am. If someone isn't doing well in my eyes, I tend to give them less attention. In my business, this is considered good management. You are supposed to lavish the most time and attention on the employee who is doing well. It adds more to your bottom line. Don't waste your valuable coaching minutes on someone who isn't going to succeed anyway.
We, as Christians and people, have to do something different than the throng of the many. Success isn't always measured by our yardstick. My mom died in November. To everyone else, that was a failure of God to not heal her, or she finally lost her battle.
Friends, its the opposite. My mom's weapons were laid down. She finally won her battle. And in so doing, won the war.
Debra, I understand only a bit what you must be facing. Thanks for the courage to write about your experience. I am in the Shy Drager support group and linked to your site from there. I wanted to share my site about Parkinson's Plus that I have been writing since December 2006, at http://wewillgoon.blogspot.com/.
ReplyDeleteI am proud of your efforts to share with others and am glad that there are more and more getting the word out.
I am equally sorry for your loss and I know it is a great anguish and struggle.-- Dan
Thanks for the kind words Dan. I'll check out your blog. I'm glad I will be able to help others with this blog. That's what my mom wanted. Thanks
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