Holy Week Thoughts

As Holy Week draws to a close, it is time to reflect on what this week means for us in the 21st Century, at least for me.

One of the things we have to be aware of and consider our own reactions about is the fuss that has come up in the media about the words of prophetic UCC pastor Jeremiah Wright. Jeremiah has spoken words that shock and cause affront - but they are words we as a society desperately need to hear! We need to confront our willingness to look away from our contributions to problems and tragedies - and societally we are patently more willing to ignore our own contributions than we are to consider that systemic change just might stop some of those problems and tragedies!

When I was in High School in the late 196os, a teacher who was a missionary's son, told us of the Ugly American image, and spoke passionately of the basis for the image - we expect everyone to kowtow to us because we are American. Yet they understand the need to tolerate differences, to tried to honor their hosts and to practice a hospitality closer to the biblical model more carefully than do we. When Americans travel, we expect to be able to speak our form of English around the world. When the world travels here, they expect to come with an interpreter or to be able to speak English. Much of the world is at least bilingual, and some parts of the world have people speaking four or five languages fluently. What are we missing in our education by allowing, indeed insisting, we do everything in ONE language, almost as though we think this is the divine language or something.

Another tragedy is that so much of what Jesus tried to bring about, to call his followers to continue working toward is no closer to reality today than when he faced the wrath of the establish religious community of his day. We are more comfortable accepting social custom than following our savior! We are more willing to by a comedian's rendition of the Golden Rule than to practice Jesus' standard - Do unto to others and cut out as fast as you can, rather than do to others what you want them to do to you.

Perhaps this year we can finally hear the true passion and full scope of Jesus' cry from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" A cry not only, we are told, addressing the feeling of being abandoned by God in the moment of taking the world's sin on his own shoulders, but, I think, expression his sense of abandonment by those who called him Master, Savior, Christ, friend! How many of our friends have left us in a time of need, or been abandoned by us when they most needed us - not to mention families that have forgotten what family really means!

Perhaps this year we will indeed experience what Jesus did for the disciples - Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit!" Perhaps this year it will happen! We will be filled with a hope and a willingness to take courageous steps to make the world so much better because that is what Jesus died to bring about - along with making us children of God! Perhaps -

Maybe this year we can drop stereotypes of characters in this story, really hear it all and come to clearer understandings of the real importance of the events we commemorate during this season of the year.

May it be so, Holy One! May it be so!

Peace!