I often wonder if I would have been brave enough to walk in the crowd that welcomed Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Our crowds today seem to be filled with so much anger and hate, not anything like what I think the celebration was like for Christ’s entrance into the city. They were joyous and celebrated God’s Son in the most important city of the times. As the week progressed, Maunday Thursday’s communion among His disciples turned cold and filled with fear and doubt as Christ was arrested by Roman soldiers to await His tortuous death. I wonder if we realize what it meant by His disciples falling asleep; it must have been similar to America’s silence or complicity towards the chaos in our land. However, April 5th represents those Americans who may have fallen asleep but are now awakened to challenge what is wrong about our nation.

Just as Judas received thirty pieces of silver to betray our Lord, greed also has raised its ugly head in our nation as tariffs may undo what is left of our positive alliances among the nations of the world and what is left in our own wallets as we watch prices rise ever higher. The horrible death of our Lord on the cross created an earthquake as God cried for His Son. Mary cried aloud as she witnessed her son’ courage and compassion among His enemies. I am grateful that Christ died for my sins, and by His sacrifices brought light, peace, hope, love, and grace into our troubled world. I believe His world was not as angry as we have become, but the people of Jerusalem did choose Barabbas, not Him. Are we doing the same thing today? When He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” He meant that request for all of us. We need to show mercy, charity, and empathy for all, not just Americans. Christ is the flame within each of us if we would only follow Him.

I feel His joy and His pain as I sheepishly walk in His crowd, and I pray that Americans will rise up for the values we used to stand for, for the compassion we used to show the world in all of its broken forms, and for the idea that we are all created equal. We are “the ubuntu, the I am because we are.” Christ died for us and for everyone that opens his heart to Christ. May we have the strength, with Christ’s help, to roll our own stones away from our tombs. May we be resurrected to life in Christ, and may we see the flame burning within all of us for a nation we can be proud of once more.

Anna Hartt