Alka's Angle

All around the world this Sunday will be observed as Palm Sunday- the day Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people welcomed him with celebrations, hoping Jesus was the “King” they had been waiting for. Jesus quickly made it clear that he was NO KING with THRONES or CROWNS, but someone who stands with the least, the last, the lost and the forgotten.

I am grateful for all those people who went out and used their privilege to vote this week. That is one way we let our voice be heard and do our duty to protect our democracy. Today I share with another way we can let our voice be heard and protect the vulnerable among us.

You know I was out of the office last week, attending the Board meeting of the United Methodist Church’s General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) As a board we have committed to meeting in places where we can also learn about the stories of the people who have lived on these lands, and the role of church in the suffering of people. As a result I have been privileged to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington DC, Cherokee National Museum in Oklahoma,  and the Apartheid Museum in South Africa, among many others.

United Methodists and faith partners from across the country will gather in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, for Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice  to offer a peaceful public witness grounded in prayerful worship, moral courage, and solidarity with immigrant communities. “We originally anticipated approximately 120 people to attend in-person, but to see us at ten-fold is so encouraging; a sign of what with God’s help we can do together as we stand for immigrant justice.” says Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, Convenor of the United Methodist Immigration Task Force.

As I shared before, this week we enter into the Lenten season. This year, we will use the series, “Tell me something good: Grounding ourselves in the good news this Lent,” prepared by “A Sanctified Art,” and focus on the ‘foundational concepts of Jesus’ life and ministry.

• What makes good news good?
• Can we trust that the good news is truly good, even when it challenges us?