A storm on Palm Sunday!

Jesus of Nazareth created a 'storm' on the day He entered the Jerusalem temple, by forcing people engaged in merchandise, to leave the temple courts to restore the temple to be a house of prayer.

The picture above is an outside view from our cottage at 4 pm yesterday! Soon there was a strong wind, heavy downpour and lighting and thundering. This lasted with in between respite till about 8 pm. 

The Palm Sunday services were conducted in churches without the usual congregation being present. The worshippers could not come together in their regular place of worship. 

This to me is a turning point to rethink on the current form of worship, rituals and traditions we follow in our churches. 

I hope the church hierarchy would not waste this opportune time to rediscover its mission in the light of a reminder that has come to us through COVED19 about the transitoriness of all that is external. Even the best of our technology and medical care did not stop 60000 or more form losing their lives abruptly! The well developed countries and less developed countries face this challenge alike. 

What is a message that is becoming evident to us!

Make lives less insular by the abundance of all that is material; instead make lives richer with inner worth and value by rediscovering our humanity as co-pilgrims in this journey of life ! The slogans of the last few years, such as 'America for Americans', 'Hindustan for Hindus', 'Britain for the British', etc have pained and alarmed us. Now we see these narrow considerations being displaced by a commonality between us. 

Th temple of Jerusalem was restored to a 'house of prayer' by Jesus of Nazareth about which we remember on the Palm Sunday. This Holy Week is a reminder of all that followed. The suffering of Jesu became a means for a new life on the third day. 

We ought to prepare ourselves to welcome this new life, like the women on the third day after the crucifixion, going to the sepulchre where Jesus was buried. 

Should not the loss of 60000 of our dear ones wake us up from our distorted view of permanency of life and turn our thoughts to be companions to each other trans-culturally and trans-continentally!  

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)