Today is Palm Sunday, the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The traditional emblem of Palm Sunday is a palm cross, a little cross made from a strip of palm-leaf. Now, to the world that looks like a contradiction. THe cross is a symbol of shame and suffering; the death of the cross was the worst death, reserved for slaves and the scum of the earth. The palm-leaf, on the other hand, was a symbol of triumph; palm-leaves were waved before conquering heroes.
So is the palm cross a contradiction? No, it a symbol of what Paul calls "The foolishness of God." Worldly glory is showy, it is the gold and the glitter. But God's glory is shown in Jesus of Nazareth, a village craftsman from a poor town in the provinces, who is the eternal Son of God. And he had a Galilean accent. He humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross. And in THIS he triumphed! The cross is not some ghastly error, some ignominious shame that interrupts Jesus' triumph, it is the very instrument of his triumph and the throne of his majesty.
So the palm cross, the symbol of shame turned into the symbol of victory, victory and shame mingled, but with victory the one that endures, is not a mistake. The cross of Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God - and it is the victory of God.