Not Just Palms and Praise: Palm Sunday as Sacred Protest
A reflection from the Puriri Centre
We often picture Palm Sunday as a peaceful celebration — palm branches waving, crowds singing “Hosanna”, children in costumes, smiles all around. But what if Palm Sunday wasn’t a parade? What if it was a protest?
Beneath the palm-waving joy lies a powerful truth: Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was not a feel-good moment. It was a bold, public act of resistance. It challenged the powers of the day. And it still challenges us now.
Two Processions. Two Powers.
On one side of the city, Jesus arrives on a donkey—humble, quiet, intentional. On the other side, Pontius Pilate enters with soldiers, war horses, and banners of imperial strength.
Two leaders.
Two processions.
Two very different messages about power.
Jesus wasn’t caught up in the pomp. He was making a statement: God’s power is not about domination. It’s about love, justice, and compassion.
“Hosanna” Was a Cry for Help
Today we might sing “Hosanna” as a worship word. But in Jesus’ time, it meant “Save us now.” It was a plea. A protest. A desperate call for real help from people living under oppression.
So when the crowds shouted “Hosanna,” they weren’t cheering for a religious pageant. They were crying out for liberation — spiritual, yes, but also social, political, and economic.
Jesus met that cry. Not with weapons or control, but with presence, truth, and radical love.
Palm Sunday Calls Us to Wake Up
Palm Sunday reminds us to pay attention — to power, to injustice, to how God moves in unexpected ways.
Jesus didn’t avoid conflict. He rode straight into the heart of empire, unarmed but unafraid, to show us a better way. That same Spirit is still stirring today, urging us to be bold and gentle, courageous and kind.
What This Means at the Puriri Centre
At the Puriri Centre, we reflect on Palm Sunday not just as a past event, but as a present invitation.
It reminds us:
That faith is not passive.
That love takes courage.
That justice grows from community.
We believe the Spirit is still calling people to live out love in public spaces — to speak up, to show up, and to care deeply about what happens in our neighbourhoods, our nation, and our world.
Join the Sacred Resistance
Palm Sunday is more than palm branches. It’s a holy moment of resistance — a spiritual movement that invites us to follow Jesus in challenging the systems that harm, and in creating communities that heal.
So let’s walk together, gently and boldly. Let’s let the Spirit lead. Let’s show what love looks like when it moves through the streets — not with power, but with peace. Not with fear, but with faith.
This isn’t just a story.
It’s a summons.
Will you join the procession?