Palm-Words: A Prayer of Resistance

Let my words be as palm branches, O God.

Let them be symbols of peaceful resistance, symbols of a peaceful rising up.

Let my words shake our corrupt government just like they shook the corrupt government in Jesus' day.

Let them shake those who've forgotten what it means to be appointed to office by you and your people.

Let my palm-words be a cry for justice.

Let them remind every government official what their real job is: To protect the God-given rights of the people.

Let my branch-words remind them that, when they don't do those things, they've gone wrong, will be held to account, and need to be called to repentance.

Let them hear my Hosanna cry this Palm Sunday, my "Deliver Us Now!" petition. And...

Let them bend their heads in repentance.

Let them turn to you. And, if they don't, just know, O God, that we will, indeed, remain turned toward you.

Deliver us now, Lord.

In Hawai'i.

In this wayward society.

In this broken country.

We need you.

Until you come, Jesus,

we pledge

to resist

all that isn't of you and your kingdom.

Amen.