palm sunday

Ciao eKa CIRCLE

Wandering the streets of beautiful Venice in various places yesterday I (M) couldn’t help but notice large palm branches everywhere along with sprigs of olive leaf being carried to and fro on the streets. Branches were sticking out of peoples bags or being carried in large bundles under their arms.

On a little investigation I realised it was for Palm Sunday. This moveable feast that celebrates Yahshua’s (Jesus) triumphant entry into Jerusalem just a week before His resurrection. He was welcomed by the people waving branches and laying them down before Him and covering the branches with their coats as they sang part of psalm 118.

It is said a donkey is a symbol of peace where as a horse is symbol of war. I had never considered that before today. Although Fridays visit to the Doge’s palace I witnessed with my own eyes the armour and weaponry used for the soldiers and the horses of the former Venetian republic, which gave me some solid context and was confronting to say the least. Palm Sunday was indeed prophetic of Zechariah chapter 9 of the Messianic King riding on a donkey speaking words of peace. The religious leaders of the time were not pleased at all about this.

This is one of those special years when both easter and passover overlap, which doesn’t always happen due to the different calendars used. There are a few of us in our eKa CIRCLE group interested in learning about passover this year. So I was curious to see how the calendars have coincided this year. For those that don’t know the passover is right in the middle of the Jewish month Nisan which is when the moon is full. Interestingly Nisan is the first month of the year on the jewish calendar that starts its 7 feasts with the first one being passover.

It’s beautiful to see this Palm Sunday event remembered. It is something new to me that I have only read about. I was pleased I could contribute in a small way by blessing the city and the churches I visited with our eKa ACTIVATE balm. Who wouldn’t (regardless of faith) want to pray for or hope for peace?

love and light

M+E