I recall the dark smudges on the foreheads of some of the kids I went to school with, but I never understood – until I was almost out of high school – what they were. My United Methodist Church did not delve into such things, and we were all taught to not ask questions about things like that. I wish I had been bold enough to ask, but we didn’t talk much about religion in those days; it was something we kept to ourselves, which, thinking about it now, wasn’t all bad. As I learned more about the practice of the imposition of ashes, I learned more about Lent. Again, my very simple church upbringing didn’t include much about the season, so I had to learn about it on the streets.
Ash Wednesday is not in the Bible; in fact, neither is Lent. It is believed to have been started during the papacy of Pope Gregory the Great, who was pontiff around 590-604 C.E. He was one of the great apologists/explainers/evangelists of the church, and his efforts spread the faith to new lands, for better or worse. The placement of ashes is a reminder of mortality and is connected to the creation of Adam in Genesis 2, who is the only person in the Bible made from dust. I still use the words, “From dust you came; to dust you return.” at most graveside services. Of course, we know that we are not made from dust – metaphor is a beautiful thing. The connection with the Hebrew Scriptures is that dust and ashes were used as a sign of repentance and humility. Of course, I doubt Jesus would have approved of walking around all day with smudge on our head, since he told His disciples to wash their faces and not let on that they were fasting. This kind of piety is supposed to be internal.
As humans, we focus a lot on external things – looks, money, clothes – so the reminder that we are physically fading away over time isn’t taken well. Which is why, I think, remembering that we only have one life to live is important in keeping us grounded in the holiness of God. For Christians, the next life is supposed to be very different from this one, and this life is supposed to be spent, at least in part, doing God’s work and living each day as if it were our last. Ashes should remind us that life is short, so don’t waste it. Life is more than attaining stuff that will (the Gospel of Matthew, again) rust and fade. Acts of kindness and mercy last a lot longer than that bracelet you got for Valentine’s Day.
Prayer – Merciful God, during this Lent may our lives be worth living for others. Amen.
Today’s art is “Ash Wednesday” by Darlyne Sax.