Speaking Truth to Power: A Liberationist Reading of Palm Sunday

This week is Palm Sunday in the Christian tradition. As the story goes, this was the day when Jesus made his triumphal return to Jerusalem, riding into the city on a young donkey behind a procession of people who are waving palm fronds and rejoicing. This marks the beginning of his journey to the cross on Good Friday – and of course, the mystery of his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Liberation theology reads this story as an act of resistance from Jesus and his followers as he went to face his Roman oppressors and authoritarian religious leaders, and ultimately his death. What can we learn from this story about making “good trouble” and speaking truth to power?