Humanity-Reminder: Ash Wednesday
What does it mean to be human?
We have many different answers to this question: we are conscious beings, we experience emotions, we stand completely upright on two legs, we laugh, we cry, we create art, we play organized sports, we cook our food, we speak complex language.
Two things we may not like to talk about that also make us human? We sin. And we are mortal.
These two elements, while not things we like to focus on, are basic to humanity. And on Ash Wednesday, we remember. During an Ash Wednesday service, many churches will have a time of public confession, or a reading of Psalm 51, which King David wrote after he was confronted with his sin of murder and adultery.
And during an Ash Wednesday service, when the pastors or priests impart the ashes, using their thumb to draw a cross on people’s foreheads, they’ll say: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.” These are the same words God said to Adam and Eve when they were banished from the Garden of Eden.
In the hustle of everyday life, in the mundane tasks, the “me-focused” world of modernity, we can get caught up in untruths, like “I can do anything,” “I’m not accountable to anyone,” and “Life is all about me and what I want.” But the reality is different. We’re human. We’re fallible. We hurt others. We hurt ourselves. We deceive others. We deceive ourselves. We sin. We are dust, and to dust we will return.
Sometimes, we need a reminder of who we really are: we’re human, we’re mortal, and we sin.
So why do we do this? What’s the point of this depressing reminder of our sin and mortality? Well, we take a moment to remember our humanity because of what’s ahead: Easter. We begin with this reminder of our sin and mortality because this acknowledgment is what ultimately points us to Jesus. Jesus offers us something we can’t get on our own: new life, freedom from sin, true and unconditional love. That’s what we look forward to in the season ahead. Our hope is found in Jesus and in his resurrection, his victory over sin and death.
While Harbor isn’t having an Ash Wednesday service, there are churches in the area that are (Grace Chapel is having a service at 8PM tonight). Even if you don’t attend an Ash Wednesday service, consider setting aside a few minutes today to meditate and remember who you are: You are dust, and to dust you will return, and you sin… but you are also loved, deeply and unconditionally, by Jesus Christ.