Thoughts from DS Olivia
Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter. We are almost to one of the most important weeks in the history of the world. It can become easy to feel as if we are going through the motions when it comes to the holy days of the church. We celebrate the same things each year, we plan the same events for the community, we sing the same songs that we always sing, and if we aren't careful we will miss out on the profound events of this sacred week.
Jesus does so many things that are contrary to the way the disciples expected, and the way we expect, leaders to operate. In a culture where power, and bluster, and force, and coercion are the name of the game, Jesus does the opposite. One of the places we see this most plainly is when Jesus washes the disciple's feet.
The Scriptures tell us that it is on the night He is betrayed that he takes their dirty feet into His hands. He washes them and tells them to do the same. While this is a beautiful symbol of Jesus' kindness to His disciples there is more to it than that. The scripture tells us that Jesus knew that all things, all power and authority, were in His hands (John 13:3) and He redefined power for us. Power in the Kingdom of God looks like service. Power in the Kingdom of God looks like humility. Power in the Kingdom of God looks like care for others over self. Power in the Kingdom of God looks like Jesus--who humbled Himself to death, even death on a cross.
As we are approaching this important week, I can't help but think of all the violence in the world around us. Governments and terrorist groups attacking and killing one another in Israel and Gaza, Ukraine and Russia. Unrest and death in Haiti. Ongoing wars in Africa and battles in Asia that are so frequent that we don't know or seem to care. Power out of control. Power seeking to dominate. Power slaughtering innocent people made in the image of God.
This Holy Week my prayer is that we would allow the Holy Spirit to transform us in such a way that we would seek to be powerful in the way Jesus was powerful. May we, in our daily lives, be servants of others. Might we set aside striving and fighting for care and healing? What would happen if we stood up against violence and called those with political power to bring peace and protection to those who are suffering? May we be people who know Jesus, learn from Jesus, and by grace, live like Jesus.
Pastor Olivia
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