John Updike says it best:

Let us not mock God with metaphor,

analogy, sidestepping transcendence;

making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the

faded credulity of earlier ages:

let us walk through the door.

(from Seven Stanzas for Easter)

Then came Jesus on a young donkey. What does His manner of arrival say about Him and the kingdom of heaven? It tells us it is unlike any other kingdom in all the world. It is an upside-down kingdom (Thank you, Donald Kraybill). In this kingdom, the least shall be the greatest. In this kingdom, if you lose your life for His sake, you will gain your life. In this kingdom, the poor and powerless are valued. And, this King, in His own words, is gentle and humble. He is ushering in the upside-down kingdom as He rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey. The week that changed the world begins.

When I raised the window shade a few mornings ago, I was delighted. I laughed out loud and said, “Are you kidding?!” On the first day of spring, our forest had three inches of fresh, beautiful snow. It did not look like spring, but I knew it had to be if only because a woodpecker had announced it earlier that morning by drilling into the side of our house. I cannot think of a better way for the arrival of spring to be heralded.