Speech by Rod Benson, Palm Sunday Rally and March, Belmore Park, Sydney, 2026 Friends, we gather at a moment in history when the language of power dominates our public life. Politicians speak platitudes. Governments speak of security. Nations attempt to dominate and eliminate enemies real and imagined. Genuine peace initiatives rarely even make it on to the …
A prayer for Palm Sunday
Almighty and everlasting God,as we recall the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem,and our world groans with conflict and pain,we rejoice in the veiled genius of your kingdom:not established by violence or threatbut through humility, mercy, and love.You scatter the proudand lift up the lowly.Now plant within us the song of Mary,that we may celebrate your …
Palm Sunday through the lens of the Magnificat
The portrayal of the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem (Lk 19:28-40) draws deeply on the theology and symbolism of Luke's earlier reference to Mary’s song, known to us as the “Magnificat” (Lk 1:46-55). Of the four Gospels, Luke’s account of the life and teachings of Jesus most clearly demonstrates an emphasis on radical social justice …
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Speech for Palm Sunday Rally 2025
Friends, We gather today on the lands of the Gadigal people and pay our respects to the people, cultures and elders past and present. We gather today as people of faith, and people of conscience. On Palm Sunday, Christians everywhere remember the time when Jesus of Nazareth entered Jerusalem—not on a warhorse, but on a …
The problem with atheism
Roman, Entry into Jerusalem, marble, late 4th century. The fool says in his heart, ‘There’s no God.’” (Psalm 14:1; cf Ps 53:1). Psalm 14 opens with these famous words. No one likes to be called a fool. But these words, as I read them, are neither an attack on a specific person nor a rebuttal of a …
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