Palm Sunday: A Tale of Two Processions

Too often, I find myself becoming nostalgic and sentimental about Palm Sunday. But I learned from Biblical scholars, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan in their book, “The Last Week,” that there were actually two processions that entered Jerusalem that day. One was a peasant procession. The other was an imperial procession.

From the East, Jesus rode a young colt down the Mount of Olives, cheered by his followers. Jesus was from the peasant village of Nazareth and his followers came mostly from the peasant class.

From the West, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of the region, entered Jerusalem at the head of a column of imperial cavalry and soldiers.

Jesus’ procession proclaimed the kingdom of God. Pilate’s proclaimed the power of empire.

Jesus’ procession deliberately countered what was happening on the other side of the city. Pilate’s procession embodied the power, glory, and violence of the empire that ruled the world. Jesus’ procession embodied an alternative vision -- the kingdom of God.

Over 40 years ago, I was in Mrs. Maxwell’s fifth grade class. I was an eager student at age 10, and I loved Mrs. Maxwell, who was an energetic and engaging teacher.

One day, Mrs. Maxwell told us to all sit down at our desks and put our heads down for a moment of silence. We kept our heads down for what seemed like forever. When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I turned my head sideways to peek out, and I saw Mrs. Maxwell crying. Then she dried her tears and told us to pick up our heads.

“Children, I want you always to remember this day, as long as you live. Because today is the first day since you were born that you have lived in peace.”

My mother later told me that Mrs. Maxwell’s brother had died in the Vietnam war.

I remembered Mrs. Maxwell’s words that Lenten weekend 10 years ago as I sat in a cold, dark police bus in plastic handcuffs in the middle of the night after being arrested, along with hundreds of fellow clergy, including my colleague Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners.

We were arrested for civil disobedience at the White House in Christian witness against my generation’s Vietnam. Thousands of Christians had gathered from 48 states and 36 religious denominations in Washington, D.C. to morally protest the continued war in Iraq.

Our faith taught us that the peace of Jesus Christ is stronger than the ways of war.

Two processions entered Jerusalem on a spring day, the first Palm Sunday. The procession from the West with soldiers on war horses proclaimed the power of empire and war. The other procession from the East with one man on a donkey proclaimed the power of love and peace.

Today, on Palm Sunday 2017, wars continue, but love and justice will prevail.

Which procession are you in?

Rev. Gini Lohmann-Bauman is senior pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Columbus, OH