All four gospels retell the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. He rode in on a humble donkey while the people waved tree branches and shouted loud Hosannas. Jesus was coming to face his death, but his friends couldn't know at that time the tragedy they were about to experience. Christians from around the world still join together in Jerusalem every year to commemorate the beginning of Holy Week, marching in joy even as we face the suffering that is to come in our sacred story.
As pilgrims to this land, we felt privileged to join in the procession this year, which starts near our own Mount of Olives neighborhood in the village of A-Tur, where the Bethphage church is located.
But what should be a powerful expression of unity for the whole body of Christ was bittersweet for us as we looked around us and realized how many in this crowd of thousands were international visitors -- and how few Palestinian Christians were able to take part. We have so many friends living behind the separation wall in the West Bank whose children have never been able to take part in this tradition though they live merely five miles away from the Old City. A number of Christians from the West Bank are granted permits at Easter time, but facing the checkpoints where they may wait for hours only to be turned away or required to return before dark deters many from taking part in the events of Holy Week. To learn more about the issue of checkpoints and religious permits, check out this LA Times article. We also recommend our friend Ryan Rodrick Beiler's blog -- he captured some particularly amazing professional photos of Palm Sunday.
We are especially mindful this week of our brothers and sisters, far and near, who would love to be here with us in Jerusalem celebrating Holy Week or Passover. May peace be with you, wherever you walk your journey.
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