This years Palm Sunday we exchanged palm branches with redwood tree branches from the church yard. After all, the people who welcomed Jesus in Jerusalem took what was at hand. Jesus chose to ride on a donkey, a symbol of the Messiah, a symbol of humility and peace.
The disciples welcomed Jesus as the king sent by God. And what a king he is, different from any earthly ruler, Jesus comes to rule with love and grace, and serves us instead of being served.