St. Paul’s United Church Sunday, April 5, 2009

Palm Sunday

Highway of Heroes – Rev. David Mundy

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Many of us have witnessed it first-hand by now, and there may be some who have actually participated. I’m speaking about the solemn and growing gatherings of people on the overpasses of the stretch of the 401 highway officially dubbed the Highway of Heroes. Each time the body of a fallen Canadian soldier is transported from CFB Trenton to Toronto those who want to “pay their respects” come together with flags and banners, or simply to wave. There are parents with children and military veterans in uniform. Police cars and fire trucks show up as well as a sign of solidarity, and their men and women in uniform stand and salute. You may or may not be aware that this honouring of heroes doesn’t happen in the United States where official policy is to avoid public recognition of the return of those killed in combat.

While we have not participated in these assemblies, we have seen them probably half a dozen times. On one occasion I was driving alone, eastbound on the 401, and passed under an Oshawa bridge as the procession of funeral coaches and other cars with family members of the deceased soldiers approached. I saw the hands of those family members extend in waves, a grateful response to those who were saluting their loved ones on this sombre journey.

Each and every time there has been a physical response on my part to what I have seen along the Highway of Heroes, especially when I have seen the procession of vehicles. It is deeply moving to see this exhibition of respect and when I saw the gestures of response from family it brought tears to my eyes.

There is a range of opinions about the Canadian military involvement in Afghanistan but our citizens seem to be in solidarity when it comes to respect for those are serving there. Many of our military personnel have volunteered to be a part of the mission and chosen to return after serving an initial term. They often leave behind spouses and children, as well as other grieving family members.

Because of this willingness to serve others and a greater cause, we readily regard them as heroes. While it’s unlikely many of us would argue with this designation, it is interesting that we know very little about what they do in the course of a day while in Afghanistan, or what life was like for them at home. After each death, an officer makes a statement about the fallen soldier, characterizing them as a likeable and generous individual, which is no doubt true. We are offered brief glimpses of their lives by grieving partners or parents, but we seldom get more than snapshots of their lives. From time to time there are media montages of photos of those who have died.

For the most part these are men whom we honour as heroes because of what they stand for, and what they are willing to do, even if it means death. It’s likely that every time crowds gather in respect they bring a variety of different concepts and convictions about who these heroes are.

We listened to our Christian Highway of Heroes story this morning, although this one has a different twist. The one who is honoured as a hero by the crowds who line the roads leading into the city of Jerusalem is still alive and well. Yet we get the sense that Jesus has a foreboding of his death.

It is the Passover celebration in Jerusalem, a time when the population of the city doubled, perhaps tripled, and the Roman garrison was on high alert because of the possibility of trouble. These highly religious Jews didn’t accept Roman rule readily and anything could happen. Jesus might be a hero to his people, but he would be considered a threat to Roman authority

History tells us that there were two highways and two processions that day nearly two thousand years ago. From the west came Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator, there to remind the religious pilgrims who was in control.

Imagine the imperial procession’s arrival in the city. A visual panoply of imperial power: cavalry on horses, foot soldiers, leather armour . . . golden eagles mounted on poles, sun glinting on metal and gold. Sounds: the marching of feet, the creaking of leather, the clinking of leather, the clinking of bridles, the beating of drums.

The Last Week – Crossan & Borg

From the east came Jesus, the “dead man walking” –or at least riding on a donkey. His journey into the city from Bethany was the counter-procession, the opposite of imperial grandeur and power, and Jesus is a counter-hero.

Have you ever thought about what defines a hero? In ancient times it often had to do with superhuman feats and the deeds of illustrious warriors. One of the oldest dictionary definitions of a hero dates back to the 1670's, more than three hundred years ago: “[One] who exhibits extraordinary bravery, firmness, or greatness of soul.”

If this is still a workable description of a hero, we can also ask if there are many around these days.

Actually, many of the people we have given hero status are not at all. We describe our sports stars as heroes because they are particularly skilled at the games they play. Some athletes are deserving because of the level of dedication and determination they bring to their pursuit, often, in the case of Olympic athletes, with little financial reward or lasting recognition. Some, though, are overpaid cheaters and liars who don’t deserve our respect and seem to extend very little to their fans.

Among the celebrities who are constantly brought to our attention by the media, some make the effort to be thoughtful and even generous individuals, but many more are notable for their childishness rather than their maturity. Did you notice a couple of weeks ago that the perpetually weird and suspect singer Michael Jackson was greeted like a king when he announced a series of concerts in London. It’s hard to imagine what on earth he has done to deserve this sort of adulation.

We even create heroes for the big screen that are closer to the mythological figures of the past. Have you noticed that there has been a spate of superhero movies in recent years which are made that much more believable through special effects?

It seems that we still need heroes, and attempt to create them, even where they don’t exist. So when people come along who seem truly committed to a nobler cause, such as those who are serving our country by putting themselves in harm’s way, we recognize something and someone worth honouring. At the Last Supper Jesus told his disciples that there was no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend, and when this is put into action we admire it.

Do we appreciate Jesus as a hero for our day? Is Jesus our hero, or the counter-hero, the antidote for so much in our culture which is shallow, and vain, and fleeting?

Jesus is a hero as the embodiment of compassion, choosing the powerless and the forgotten as the recipients of his healing and grace, rather than pandering to those in positions of influence and power.

Jesus is a hero because his courage and bravery are manifest in what looks like weakness by worldly values. Jesus had what scholar Walter Brueggeman has called the “prophetic imagination” which allowed him to have a vision for the world which did not “buy in” to fame and glory.

Jesus is a hero because he did not take the easy way out presented to him by the power of darkness during his forty days in the desert, choosing to be faithful to God all the way to the cross. During this week we will enter the gloom of betrayal and anger and death, but Christ’s light will not be extinguished, even though the flame may flicker.

All of us can identify how Jesus the Christ is a hero for us, the authentic one, the person of integrity and commitment.

A last thought today in the form of a question. If Jesus is the unconventional hero or counter-hero we admire and follow and even worship, will we follow him as completely and fully as we can as Christ’s disciples? This Sunday of palms and passion does not invite us to be spectators. Rather than watching Jesus’ procession go by, tree branches waving, we will be faithful, taking up our own crosses in the events of each day. While we may not be heroes, we will know one when we see one. It is up to us to be the faithful disciples from Monday to Saturday in everything we do. We can travel on this highway of our hero.

There is an old chorus that I thought might be an African-American spiritual but was actually written in India. Listen for the melody as it is sung in these first three verses, then join in the last verse. Even though it is in the form of a question, it is an invitation to commitment.