The donkey has been saddled, the palms have been waved, Jesus has entered Jerusalem, and the week we know as 'Holy Week' has begun. It's a week of mixed emotions, as we teeter between the frivolity of Palm Sunday and the desolation of Friday, which is anything but 'good.' It would be natural for us to be emotionally and spiritually shaken during this hectic week, but the frenzy of church activities that we wedge into this 8-day period can even leave us physically discombobulated.
Holy Week can pretty easily become anything but holy.
Holiness is about being set apart; about things being special and sacred and meaningful. So, I always fear that trying to sandwich so many events into a short period of time does not allow us to properly reflect on the special-ness, sacred-ness, and meaningfulness of the triumphant entry, betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus in the original Holy Week.
Let's remember to keep Holy Week holy.
Let's commit to the spirit of contemplation, repentance, and worship that a week of this level of significance deserves. Let's take time to reflect and pray. Let's take time to process our own culpability in Jesus' death. And ultimately, let's take time to celebrate the great hope we have in the resurrected Savior, who has saved the world and opened up resurrection potential to us all. Let's allow the holiness of Holy Week to govern our hearts and minds throughout this week -- allowing this week to truly be special, sacred, and meaningful -- not just frenetically busy.