Today is Passion Sunday. We all are enamoured by the waving of palms and the welcome that Christ has upon entering the city. It is also the Sunday that we hear the reading of the given gospel's story of Christ's passion. A long apparently non-ending reading from the passages of the synoptic gospels depending on the year. After such a reading is there much point in giving a sermon, isn't the reading sufficient for the sermon. In many ways yes, I can totally agree with that sentiment and for convenience there is a tendency to skip the sermon or at least respond with a shortened one. In terms of modern sensitivities and often in terms of constraints on time in some parishes this is a reasonable response. Yet, if our focus is on the Palm waving do we misunderstand the purpose of today.
Through out the country in modern times there has been a response in major cities to the plight of refugees on this particular Sunday. The Palm Sunday march for refugees is now an established "tradition" that brings attention to the refugee situation. This was started with passion by a number of people and has been responded to with passion over a number of years. It is a cause that is worth being passionate about in terms of justice and the understanding of God's peace throughout the world means an acceptance of the other. It is thus an important response for society to give with passion for the plight of the other especially in a society that is primarily based on the influx of people from around the world. To be part of this country is to acknowledge that the roots of its people are not based purely in Australia but also from across the globe. Such a response is right but it is also correct to say that in basing the country's roots from across the globe the striving for justice in God's world means the striving for justice for everyone.
Whilst it is right and proper to bring attention to the plight of those who are refugees it is equally right to draw attention to those who are also part of the complex tapestry of life in this country but who are in much the same situation despite being an integral part of the countries heritage. The plight of the indigenous populations of countries throughout the world and in this country where we march for the rights of the other requires the same passion of love that is expended on others who look to come into the culture that is this countries matrix. Such marches have focussed on colour rather than culture and perhaps our passion needs to focus on culture rather than colour as focussing on an either or situation that appears to be black and white we lose our understanding of the blends of culture that underlie the debates. In focussing on the one thing we unintentionally divert our gaze from what matters in the community that is life.
We can focus on colour, gender or any other thing we like but it all boils down to the same; a passion for God's justice, peace and love. Archbishop Tutu reminds us often that it is not a debate around colour or any other duo (male/female, haves / have nots, etc) but rather a debate around how we see each individual not as being made by God but being made in our own image. If we focus on one thing we forget that the diversity that is present around us is a diversity filled with passion. Passion for life and for love. If we are to take anything away from the passage of Christ into Jerusalem it is this: that Christ represents the passion of life and love not hatred not individualism not our own opinions but life being fulfilled to its end and love being fulfilled in community. In our journey to the cross we need to be fully reminded that all that we do must be done with the realisation of passion for love and life. If what we do does not confirm life with passion then we are doing something wrong; if our actions are not confirming our love for the other then we are doing something wrong. We all have our pet peeves and our pet understanding of what is right and what is wrong but in all we do we must understand that if what we do not like brings the other down or disrupts the lives of the other than we are the ones that are in the wrong. It is only in the acceptance of the passion for live and love that we can understand the sacrifice that is made at the end of a passionate week for all not just those who are present.
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