Our synod delegation arrived back from our companion church visit to India on Inauguration Day. Ever since then, there has been a barrage of bad news, especially for the most vulnerable among us. Public servants and services that so many people rely on are being removed and vilified, including those provided by Lutheran organizations like Lutheran Social Services and Global Refuge. People in the LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and immigrant/refugee communities are under attack and forced to live in fear.
Our Spanish-language congregation, San Jose Obrero in Moline, has seen a drop in attendance as people are afraid to leave their homes. We have had several Know Your Rights workshops throughout the synod as we try to be vigilant and prepared amid the threats of mass deportations. Recently, 238 Venezuelan migrants, most of them without criminal records, were sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador known for its human rights violations. Erratic trade policies with sweeping tariffs have left markets in turmoil and retirement funds diminished. The current political climate has put us all in a constant state of flux and uncertainty.
The word, “Hosanna!” came from a place of crisis. In Hebrew, Hosanna literally means “Save us, we pray.” Save us, deliver us now, we pray you, we beseech you! Verse 25 of Psalm 118 is translated “Lord, save us!” from the original Hebrew word “Hosanna.” So the origin of the word Hosanna was a prayer for salvation; it was a plea for deliverance. The Hosannas that were uttered from the lips of the people processing with their palms came from that deep place of inner longing. That longing we relate to in these tumultuous times.
In Luke’s telling of the Palm Sunday story, we are told that some of the Pharisees were uncomfortable with the crowds’ chants of “Hosanna!” and told Jesus to rebuke them. To which Jesus says: “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” There comes a point when the people can’t keep silent anymore, where they will finally say, “Enough!” You cannot stop it. These Hosannas will come out one way or another.
Like peoples and nations throughout the world and throughout history, we have a deep longing for salvation. The liturgy we use for the Palm Procession in Spanish paints the picture of all the people throughout the world who join the cry of Hosanna. It says (in English):
“Hear, Lord, the cry of your people: the brokenhearted, the poor, the hurting, those abused by evil forces, the elderly, the peasants, those imprisoned for seeking justice, the forgotten in mental hospitals. All of them have come to sing to you: Hosanna.”
“Those who have lost their land, that you had given them by inheritance, those who cannot read, those who’ve received a terminal prognosis. All of them have come to sing to you: Hosanna.”
“The homeless, those who have lost their children or parents in natural disasters, wars, sicknesses, or at the hands of an unjust economy, those who have lost hope: All of them have come to sing to you: Hosanna.”
And then the response: “Todos cantamos hosanna. Todos esperamos en ti. (English: We all sing Hosanna. We all hope in you.)”
This response bonds the cry for salvation of all the peoples to our own: We all sing Hosanna. We all hope in you.
March 24 marked 45 years since Archbishop Oscar Romero was killed for denouncing the atrocities of the war in El Salvador. Romero’s cry joined the cry of the people of his country who longed for freedom. Romero said: “Each week I go about the country listening to the cries of the people, their pain from so much crime, and the ignominy of so much violence. Each week, I ask the Lord to give me the right words to console, to denounce, to call for repentance. And even though I may be a voice crying in the desert, I know that the church is making the effort to fulfill its mission.”
This was the cry of Hosanna. This was the cry of the people waving their palms. This has been the cry of peoples throughout time. This longing burns inside of us, until we can’t help but cry out: Hosanna! “Save us, we pray.” So we join the procession as Jesus enters Jerusalem with people throughout history, throughout the world, crying out “Hosanna!”
Hosanna! Save us from the evils of this world that exploit us, hurt us, discriminate against us, and leave us feeling so broken.
Hosanna! Save us from the power of sin.
Hosanna! Save us from the Evil One.
Hosanna! Save us from death.
Amen.
