Palm Sunday - Praise and Rejection

palm crosses blessed
and waved
sang 'Hosanna'
Said a prayer (or did I mumble?)

had fingers crossed as confessed our sins
my sins
looking to God for forgiveness
and a short memory
for sins past
and life events (failed)
'What greater love than this?'
no need to ask as the nail-pierced hand held mine
safely
assuredly

and then
without warning
there were were
on a journey

donkey with a King on its back
King with stripes on His back for a donkey (that's me)
before the religious leaders (who crucify Him still)
before the Political stooge
the Pilate who ley justice fly in the face of truth and love
before the ersatz king
the horrid who was Herod
And back again

And we cried out
Silently
above the noise of love

our lives
our hearts
our sinful
selfish
cruel ambitions
cried out: 'crucify Him, crucify Him!'

And they did
They bloody well did
gave us exactly what we demanded

and Him
scourged
bleeding
broken
went off to Golgotha

Nailed
Pierced
Broken
mocked

even by the bloke next to Him
(but not the bloke on the other side)

and then
'it is finished'
job's a good 'un

tetelestai
the debt
of sin
cancelled
paid
by THE act of love

Centurion
battle-scarred
seen men die
made men die
standing and watched
impressed?
touched?
guilty?
proclaims the dead
'a righteous man'
'a good bloke?'
'a dead good bloke' perhaps?

and taken down
wrapped up
like a Christmas present?
like an Easter present?
a 'good egg' perhaps?
He's placed in a tomb

game over?
not the Messiah?
without hindsight what would we be thinking
how would we be acting
what would this mean to us

and so
Palm Sunday done
everything on hold
we await
eagerly?
disbelieving?
hoping
for a greater comeback
than winning 5-7 from 4-1 down at half-time

Holy Week
wholly weak
we struggle to
a Good Friday
in the knowledge of
a better Sunday

Bells on Sunday

Every Sunday morning I find myself subjected to BBC Radio Four's 'Bells on Sunday'. Now I'm sure there are many campanologists out there who set their alarm clock (or perhaps more sensibly record it as I see that 'listen again' is not available) for this as the pinnacle of their week perhaps but I have to say that this is, for me at least, the biggest down of the week and it is rare for me to do anything but go and put a kettle one in readiness for what comes next (this week it's a 'Lent Talk' (which, interestingly is by an Islamic scholar!).

And so, Quasimodo like, avoiding the bells I look towards today (Palm Sunday and the entry into Jerusalem) and the image of Jesus, in an open-topped bus travelling through Jerusalem with the crowds chanting his name as the procession heads towards a champagne reception at the town hall, fills my mind. I think back to the many times I have seen footballers do this and how, just like Jesus only a few days later, the cheers and applause turns to boos, jeering and cries for their demise. So often we hear (or read) of ways in which football is a religion. Could it be therefore that we might consider the question: Football, the new Christianity?

If so, and taking Chelsea as the last sacking, what does that make Andre Villas-Boas and does this mean that in the place of the Roman, Pilate, we have instead the Roman Abramovich?

May you have a blesséd Palm Sunday and a wonderful Holy Week.

Pax