Holy Week: Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking,
‘Who is this?’
— Matthew 21:10
On Palm Sunday our attention moves from the wilderness of Lent to the city of Jerusalem. The spotlight falls on full streets and the royal welcome given to the man arriving on a colt.
Jesus arrives on a colt, not a stallion, because he comes with a message of reconciliation, not of war. He comes with a message which will be delivered in full by the end of Holy Week. Jesus’ message is the culmination of his life, lessons and undying love.
And as we move to Palm Sunday we start to sing a new song, a song first sung by those enduring slavery:
‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’
Early versions of the song also included the verses:
‘Were you there when they pierced him in the side?’
‘Were you there when the sun refused to shine?’
The events of Holy Week have long resonated not only with those calling ‘Hosanna’, but also those at the sharp end of suffering. The nail-scarred hands of Jesus, the darkness of ‘Good’ Friday and the silence of Holy Saturday provide solace and comfort for those who suffer.
Jesus stands in solidarity with those who struggle. He calls his body to life, challenging all who follow him to bring hope where there is horror.
The Jesus of Holy Week demands that we are there with those who are suffering now. He asks us not to avert our eyes from our neighbours’ struggle and pain, even if the media has already turned the lens away.
This Holy Week we are there for and with our neighbours, like Michael, in South Sudan.
Michael is just one of the people who have survived more than three years of conflict in South Sudan. Tens of thousands of others have died in this bitter fighting and three million have been forced to flee their homes. When military forces ravaged Michael’s village, he fled to the swamps and had to be guided to safety by neighbours.
When he returned home, Christian Aid was there. We provided fishing nets and hooks so Michael could provide for his family.
Now he’s teaching his family how to fish, giving them some security for the future.
As we look down the road from Palm Sunday to Good Friday — from triumph to tragedy — we must ask ourselves if we are fully present to the suffering of our brothers and sisters both across the street and around the world.
Knowing their suffering, how can we practically ensure that they enjoy life before death?
We sing
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
