Palm Sunday 2011

Morning after morning

he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.

A friend once approached me with some very hard news and began with, “Now Ken, try not to be defensive!” Of course, for the next hour I was nothing but defensive. But then, I had been living on the defensive for many months before that.

How do I approach Holy Week with “ears open that I may hear?” Can I hear the greatest story ever told -- understanding that it condemns my sins -- without becoming defensive? Can I participate in a drama that removes my guilt, relieves my shame, heals my sickness, consoles my sadness and restores my innocence -- without becoming self-conscious? The story is of my sin and its fatal consequences, the killing of God. And yet it is also the story of God’s forgiving me.

I can do so only because it is not about me. It’s about God. In fact, my life is not about me. Or, it need not and should not be about me. It’s about God.

There was a time when I felt too awkward to go to theater and watch a play. I knew the actors wanted a response and I didn’t know if I could give it. Eventually I learned to go and enjoy and appreciate.

I think I know why many people do not attend church. They don’t feel comfortable letting themselves slide into the presence of God. They fear his judgment. Maturity has helped me to let that go. I don’t know what happens during the Mass. I don’t know what will transpire during Holy Week. I hope that by attending and by letting God be God, I will be drawn through the story of sin and condemnation to vindication and life.