I LOVE a parade!

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. –G. K. Chesterton


St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most popular holidays in the U.S. for a parade. My city of Cleveland knows how to do it right. This year, the estimate was that there would be around 10,000 people walking in the parade, and ten times as many watching! (Did you know? In Cleveland, you can pay $25 to be a “Guarantor.” That apparently means, no matter what, even if no one else shows up, those Guarantors will make sure there’s a parade.) We watched and cheered as firefighters, police, Irish dancers, and dozens of Guarantors marched proudly down Superior Avenue, celebrating our city and who we are. It was a gorgeous day, and a tremendous parade!

About two thousand years ago, there was another parade, on the road to Jerusalem. At the beginning of the Passover celebration, here comes Jesus. As he arrives, the crowd, already caught up in the excitement of the Passover celebration, begins waving palm branches, shouting Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! And the crowd even begin throwing their cloaks on the road ahead of this man Jesus, a sign that despite his humble appearance, despite the fact that he is riding on a donkey, or a colt, he is more. Some may have personally experienced his healing presence and power; others may simply have gotten swept up in the excitement of the day.

But unlike the Grand Marshal and the many, many Guarantors in our parade, who waved and smiled and cheered the crowd on, Jesus kept his eyes focused on his task ahead. He knew this Passover was different, marking a new beginning for those who would take the cup and the cross and follow him.

Are you walking? Or merely standing alongside watching?

(In non-Orthodox Christian traditions, this week is Holy Week.)

Monday Think about a parade you experienced as a child. What do you remember most? Sights? Smells? Now imagine yourself on the road to Jerusalem. Matthew 21:1-11

Tuesday Not everyone was eager to call Jesus Lord. When has your identity as a follower of Christ been at odds with something you are doing, perhaps at your job or in your free time? Matthew 21:12-17

Wednesday How do you feel about being told what to do? Have you ever been in charge of something and had that one person who simply refused to go along? Luke 20:1-8

Thursday Maundy Thursday How often do you pray for others? Have you deliberately prayed for those of another faith—not to “convert” them, but simply for their well-being? How about today? John 17:20-20

Friday Good Friday If a child (or grownup) asked you today, “Why do we call it Good Friday?” How would you answer? John 18:1-11

Saturday As Jesus was being taken away to be crucified, Peter denied Jesus three times. How good are you at “truth under pressure”? John 18:15-27

Sunday Easter (or Resurrection) Sunday Set the alarm early. Experience the wonder of the early morning quiet. Imagine yourself with Mary Magdalene and Peter and John as they discover the empty tomb, and realize the new reality Jesus offers. John 20:1-18


If you’re not in the parade, you watch the parade. That’s life. –Mike Ditka

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