One of our... donkies(!) is missing!

Having arrived in the world in the same year as the 'classic' One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing, with much encouragement from my Dad I've grown up watching similar comedic tales, but I couldn't help thinking of the Ustinov farce as we gathered at Poplar for the annual Palm Sunday march. Read more here.

An event of epic, notoriously unpredictable proportions I was initially a little disappointed when we gathered with no sign of the star of the show - the donkey, the real live donkey that historically leads the way! It seemed that previous bad behaviour (stubborness, excitable tantrums and random kicks aimed at members of the public!) had finally precluded his involvement. I was a little disappointed because although one would rarely describe proceedings as 'conventional' without the donkey we were a bog-standard, ragbag bunch of Christians meandering around the East End albeit with a very unique and diverse band sporadically trumpeting 'Make Way'!

But thankfully, my impending disappointment was staved off by a puffing, panting vicar arriving with a question - 'has anyone seen the donkey? It was over at the church a minute ago, but it's gone missing!'

Ding, dong! Images of a cantankerous, rabid and randy donkey breaking lose around Tower Hamlets flooded my imagination, but hope sprung eternal that once again the march would be led by the donkey... if we could only find it!

Thankfully, my (our?) prayers were answered and the much anticipated donkey reluctantly turned up and begrudgingly 'led' the procession (although its probably fair to say that the route taken was more the donkey's choice than ours!).

I wonder if Jesus had the same problem and what would've have happened if he had 'lost' the donkey?!