THE FLIP SIDE OF EASTER

When I was growing up, Palm Sunday was one of my favorite worship services. All of us children would gather in the back of the church and be given large palm fronds, then we would joyously march in at the beginning of the service, waving our palms with much enthusiasm and loudly singing 'Hosanna! Hosanna!' It truly felt like we were part of the crowd two thousand years ago who greeted Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. However, in recent years Palm Sunday has also become known as Passion Sunday. Now, in addition to reading the festive account of Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, the entire Passion story is read, including the Last Supper, the betrayal of Judas, the trial before Pilate, the crucifixion of Jesus, and finally, his death.

What a downer! Can't we just wave our palms and shout 'Hosanna'? Do we have to hear about death, too?

Unfortunately, that attitude is exactly why Palm Sunday is now Passion Sunday. Not too many people are excited at the notion of Jesus dying on a cross... so they don't attend worship on Good Friday. They just skip all that nasty death stuff, because at the Sunday following Palm Sunday there will be trumpets and lilies and hoorah! The miracle of Jesus' resurrection!! Of course, in the northern hemisphere tempting signs of new life are everywhere- tender green shoots are bursting forth from the cold ground, buds are suddenly apparent, and how can you not believe when the days are warmer, longer? It's an exhilerating time of year!

However, in the southern hemisphere exactly the opposite thing is happening. Days are growing shorter, the wind more cold and blustery. Plants are dying, green things fading to brown. New life seems like a long ways away. The worship service that I will be celebrating this Sunday morning is an afterthought to the real event- Good Friday. Jesus becomes the most real, the most human, through his death. Everyone in my African community has experiencd death. Not many have seen miraculous resurrections. They know what death looks like, and they know it cannot be avoided. It is an integral part of their life. And they will not miss the death of their Lord.

This weekend, I challenge all of you to look beyond the lilies and the brass bands and even the Easter bunny and the brightly dyed eggs. Look beyond to Golgotha, The Skull, and see the crucified body of Jesus. Hear the mourning cries and the weeping of his loved ones. It's uncomfortable. It's awkward. But this is why we celebrate Easter... because of death.