Love A Parade

Baxter never leaves the house unescorted. Given his naivety about the big, bad world, I am afraid that, if he would venture out on his own, he would be prey to forces that would harm him. He lives the pampered life with his food provided without charge and many warm spots to bed down rent-free. In fact, Baxter doesn’t try to leave the house any longer. When he was younger, he yearned for the great outdoors. Now, he is curious, but not brave enough to step out. He enjoys looking out the door or window, but he soon turns and runs when there is any temptation to pass over the threshold. Baxter has made staying home a way of life.

Jesus’ life style is just the opposite. “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head,” we read in the gospels. Jesus is on the move throughout the story of our salvation. Between Judea and Galilee, among the towns and villages of Israel, from private houses to public buildings, in both rural and ancient urban settings He comes and goes, all the while preaching, teaching and working to bring about God’s Kingdom in our midst. Finally, He comes to Jerusalem for the last time on Palm Sunday. This is the final entrance to the Holy City during His earthly life, and it begins with a parade.

Parades are travel with spectacle. They occur for many reasons—celebrations, commemorations, acknowledgements, community participation. They usually involve some costumes, music, various groups moving together and spectators to watch or maybe join the parade. “Hosanna, to the Son of David!” was the theme of Jesus’ parade on Palm Sunday. It brought Him into Jerusalem with honor and acclaim, fanfare and special recognition. His way was laid out with palm branches because He earlier walked on water and cured the sick. It was a hero’s welcome for this itinerant preacher who held the promise of a messiah.

Yet, in a few days, He would be stopped in His tracks arrested, imprisoned, tortured, tried, sentenced to death and executed. The hero of the parade was soon recast as the criminal to both religious and civil society, and He was commanded to make one last journey to Calvary.

What a dramatic turn of events! Maybe Baxter has it right. Stay home; avoid danger; remain comfortable and safe. Too much movement and spectacle draw too much attention. It’s a dangerous world out there. We could get hurt, or worse, die, if we venture too far away from home.

But remember Jesus’ final journey to the Father. He had to pass through pain, suffering, rejection and death, but it didn’t end there. After the Good Friday procession in silence,there is the Easter parade in praise and thanksgiving for God’s victory over sin and death. Don’t be afraid to go out and spread the good news, to serve others in His name, and to seek out the lost and forgotten. Step out into the world with the Spirit of Christ, and you will cross a threshold to a new life with God.

-Monsignor Statnick