After 3 years or so of helping, healing, and teaching ... of living in a way that either gave you hope and made you want to follow Him, or made you so angry you’d do anything to get rid of Him ... Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, surrounded by cheers and songs. A few knew Him well. Many had heard of Him. Some were convinced He was trouble. Plenty of opinions ... and even more questions.

“You tell me / that it’s all right / to let it out of its cage [...] / You say that letting it out / may tame it somehow ...” (*from a poem by Linda Pastan)

Anger: “wrath; a strong feeling of displeasure or belligerence aroused by a wrong” ... A hurtful word, a short-sighted decision, a lost opportunity, and it can flare unexpectedly. Untended, left to simmer, it can take us by surprise by its power over us — and its impact on those around us.

“There is a candle lit [...] / Come blow it out ...” (*from a poem by Linda Pastan)

Lust: “intense, uncontrolled, or illicit sexual desire or appetite” ... We live in a reality in which it’s nearly impossible not to daily encounter something designed to appeal to this most intimate of appetites. What’s at risk? And how do we build a healthy mindset as we navigate this reality?

“As I finish lunch / I am thinking about / what I will eat / for dinner ...” (*from a poem by Linda Pastan)

Gluttony: “excessive eating and drinking” ... Food fuels our physical bodies, but it’s often about so much more. Social connection ... Sensory experience ... Reward ... Comfort. When does indulging become over-indulging?

“They say that Midas / died a ruined man ...” (*from a poem by Linda Pastan)

Greed: “excessive desire, especially for wealth or possessions” ... Sometimes it’s about possessing all of something ... Sometimes it’s just about a little bit more than we already have ....

“Since you ask, / I would tell you which country, / but I am too tired / to look it up.” (*from a poem by Linda Pastan)

Sloth: “habitual disinclination to exertion; laziness; indolence” ... Rest is good, right? Time to set things aside, take a break from the to-do list. Sometimes downtime is the right priority ... But how much is too much?

“There was a green / silk scarf with gold / around the edges ...” (from a poem by Linda Pastan)

Envy: “a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, etc.” ... The green-eyed monster that, with a glance, can steal from us the enjoyment of what is ours and build walls separating us from those only inches away.

“I have swallowed it / and swallowed it ...” (*from a poem by Linda Pastan)

Pride: “a high opinion of one’s own importance or superiority” ... It can begin innocently within a sense of accomplishment or wellbeing ... Marinate and ferment in the mind and heart ... And in its fullest, most over-developed form, take us where we never thought we’d go.

Not religious, you say? The world is upside down — and desperately in need of hope. Of leaders who can see and execute the change needed to get us out of the mess we’re in. We vote ... We donate ... We volunteer ... We put signs on our lawns to align ourselves with the people we see as our only hope. Not attending a place of worship doesn’t mean we don’t worship ...

Not religious, you say? “Parent” used to be a noun, but is now a verb. What used to be a title is now a role. It promises identity and transcendence, and can become an altar on which we lay our sacrifices of time and money in exchange for some elusive future legacy. Not attending a place of worship doesn’t mean we don’t worship ...