Jesus on the Red Carpet

I've never been on a red carpet other than the one in my apartment. It must be thrilling to be all dressed up and to have the world paying attention to you, obsessing over your life and work. Who doesn't love being the center of attention? Jesus had his red carpet moment even before the "red carpet" was invented. In fact, they didn't have any carpet for Jesus as he entered Jerusalem so they made one... by taking off their jackets and throwing them on the ground before him and by cutting palm leaves to lay on the ground. Scripture tells us that crowds of people gathered to watch him come into town, just like the throngs of people taking pictures and clamoring for autographs outside the Oscars. Jesus was an A-list celebrity because of his miracles and on-point teachings but he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. That's like showing up to the Academy awards in a Windstar.

Spoiler alert: He dies. Just one week after coming to Jerusalem and being greeted like a king, Jesus will be condemned to death in a Jerusalem court. Within one week the crowd will go from cheering for him like total fan-boys to screaming "crucify him." The party atmosphere quickly turns into a mob atmosphere and Jesus pays the price for the fickle nature of Jerusalem's inhabitants. Just as modern celebrities are on the red carpet one moment and in the tabloids the next.

Christians celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem today, Palm Sunday, to start our Holy Week. At my Church, we parade through the aisles throwing confetti and setting off firecrackers. We really party it up. Only four days later, on Maundy Thursday, we mourn Jesus' betrayal, our sanctuary covered in black. It's amazing to me how this quick turnaround of public opinion concerning Jesus continues today.

We see politicians who win elections by touting their faith, but then turn on Jesus' teachings the second they get into office by neglecting the poor, orphans, widows, and the imprisoned. They are killing Jesus when they do this. Many of us Christians are happy to go to Church on Sunday and receive the emotional high of worship, but as soon as we leave the building we go right back into our everyday routines of hating people, blaming people, and thinking only of ourselves. We go so quickly from praising God like it was Palm Sunday to crucifying God on the cross of our personal whims and desires. I have often heard Christians accused of hypocrisy and I am forced to accept the truth of this accusation. We very often fail to live out what we claim we believe and turn on our own God just as the citizens of Jerusalem did.

I personally apologize to the world for not keeping my word and for ruining the party. It pains me to admit it, but sometimes we Christians have been the proverbial "that guy". Whether it's "that guy" who turns a fun mosh pit into a fight or "that guy" who drinks too much when everybody's just chilling. We have even been "that guy" who betrays his close friend by trying to get with her. Although we obsess over Jesus on the red carpet, some of us haven't even seen his movies.

So my challenge to all Christians and to all people who think Jesus is worth emulating is to remember the Palm Sunday spirit. On Palm Sunday God is the center of attention. Let's acknowledge the ultimate coolness of God, even when God is driving a Windstar, and try to build our lives around this rather than around our own petty desires for recognition and power. This Palm Sunday spirit never comes from place of shame, but always from celebration.

Since it's Palm Sunday, today's drink features flavors that come from palm trees.

Palm Rumday

Ingredients: 1 oz. coconut milk (the kind from a can, shaken really well), 2 oz. coconut water, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 oz. Rum (be careful not to use too much rum). All of these ingredients should be refrigerated beforehand. Use frozen banana slices as ice cubes.

Vigorously whisk the brown sugar into the coconut milk, add in the coconut water and stir, pour in the rum. Now drop the frozen banana slices in and enjoy.

Coconut water is said to prevent hangovers but always remember: you can drown your sorrows but not your sins.

The Palm Rumday