The Stones Themselves Will Shout

On the first Palm Sunday the Pharisees didn’t appreciate the songs of the disciples and tried to silence them – but the joy of the moment simply had to be expressed.  The city which had, for so long, waited for the Messiah, the ancient city of bricks and mortar, could not hold back from acclaiming his arrival when, at last, it came.  Jesus told them: I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start shouting.  I am glad that there are so many ways in which God’s people cannot help but reflect his glory.  I am glad of all those times when I see God’s light and love shining through and, though that’s always good, it is especially notable when it happens in situations of some adversity.

I am glad of the songs that I find myself singing to God, whether they are literal songs, just as together we might sing a hymn or a song, or whether they are the songs that show themselves through what I do.  Are we making enough noise to keep the stones silent – or are the stones of our time and place straining to offer their praise because we don’t seem to be.  We need to ask ourselves whether we are ready to keep the stones quiet – because we are the ones doing the praising.  God is great.  God is to be praised.  Let us recognise that in our context, and in the ways that work for us.  And let’s be sure that we are not so fickle that we abandon our praising when the going gets a bit tough!