Holy Week in an Unholy Time

A Pastor's Reflection on Holy Week, No Kings, and the Road Ahead

The cherry blossoms are fading, along with the daffodils and camellia — nature's own reminder that we are in a season of endings that make way for new life. Last Sunday was the final sermon in our From Ashes to Alleluias series, and this week we turn to Palm Sunday and Holy Week. It has been a challenging Lent in some ways and an uplifting one in others.

The state of the world has almost daily asked us to question what we know, who we are, and how we want to live in the coming days. So many are questioning the safety they have assumed their entire lives and are making plans for "if" they are targeted. Trans friends. People of color. People with medical conditions. Women who can no longer access basic reproductive care, because providers fear prosecution for decisions that were routine just a few years ago. This is the world we now live in even if we cannot see it in our personal lives.

And then I have watched as so many are engaged in resistance, in support, in imagining what a world where all are actually wanted and valued might look like. Organizers anticipate at least 10,000 people to participate in Saturday's No Kings III Rally here in Salem on March 28th (join us for poster making at 10am before we walk together under our banner in our new t-shirts at noon). National organizers anticipate nearly 9 million people to participate, with many saying it will be the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. And with events also planned across Europe, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Australia, the global numbers could mean tens of millions of people standing against authoritarianism this coming Saturday.

"But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos 5:24 

And behind the scenes there are people organizing mutual aid networks, rapid response networks, communications networks, and all of the infrastructure to not only resist the authoritarianism of our current administration, but to build the infrastructure that will create resilience no matter what the future holds.

It is humbling to be a part of this work and to know that our congregation is at the center in so many ways. We host the monthly Salem Regional Indivisible meetings as well as their safety team trainings that make our public rallies safe for all. Our commitment to becoming a Resilience Hub — a community anchor that provides resources, connection, and support especially in times of crisis — is also a critical element in supporting the organizations that are on the front lines of action. Whether legislative or civic, our Hub partners are the ones that will keep sewing the fabric of community together even as the Regime seeks to tear us apart.

In addition, our members lead in the Braver Angels movement, climate action networks, support for our unhoused neighbors, and a variety of other sectors that are working to bring our Salem UCC commitments of "Celebrating Diversity, Pursuing Justice, Practicing Love" to life in real and tangible ways. We are a people who go deep as we live between the Ashes and Alleluias of our time.

And so it is with that same spirit that we come now to this year's most holy of weeks. Holy Week is one of the most powerful journeys of the Christian year — an invitation to walk with intention with Jesus from the urgency of Palm Sunday through the darkness of Good Friday and into the mystery of Easter morning. I invite you to take advantage of the opportunities to be part of that journey this year.

And remember that you are not alone regardless of how lonely it might feel from time to time. There are millions of people walking this road with you — from Salem to Minneapolis, Jerusalem to Tehran, London to Tokyo, Rio to Rome. No matter our beliefs, the pilgrimage is one that brings us to a shared hope for peace and equity for all.

Thank you for being on the road,

Pastor Robin