Hey, You There... Why the Long Ash?

Ash Wednesday is almost upon us.  It is a time when Christians the world over remember their own fragility and to whom we belong to.  This day is often solemn with funeral-like themes throughout the worship service.  Some Christians try to avoid the day altogether, stating the music and feel is too downtrodden.  Others, especially more recently, celebrate the day with receiving ashes on the street corner and walking away less than five minutes later.  I have an appropriate term for this type of receiving, but the word itself carries a lot of baggage in today's word; given this blog is long enough already, I will keep this word to myself until a more appropriate time.  Even still, wherever and however you get your ashes, whether you put it on your head or keep it on the back of your hand, here are a few thoughts about this Ash Wednesday and why the day is made specifically for you.

In the book of James found in the Bible, the author comments:

"But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.  For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.  But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing." (James 1:22-25)

I never thought I would quote James in an Ash Wednesday meditation, but, I confess, I love the book (and I'm Lutheran!).  James' metaphor here, like the cross on your forehead, isn't a sign about whose included and whose excluded, as I fear why some people often rush to get their ashes; for them, ashes show that they are part of the "in" crowd, but Ash Wednesday isn't about wearing the cross to state who's in and who's out.   The sign of the ashes isn't about a momentary remembrance or act of confession; it's much more than that.  James states that one can't look in a mirror and forget what one looks like; neither can one forget the sign of the cross on one's forehead--a mark that can't be erased by water and soap once the day is done.

The first example of a seal was given to Cain, after, in rage against God, he kills his brother Abel.  Worried about his own life, God hears Cain's cry and answers by giving him a mark so that Cain might have life, even in the midst of the death all around him--from his brother and his own life's transitions (Genesis 4:13-16).  Cain was about to lose so much, including his homeland and what he believed to be God's blessed presence.  Instead, God responds by giving him a seal, the same seal we see at our own baptism, that despite our own brokenness, sinfulness, and selfishness (or whatever you want to call rebelliousness against God's command to love God and neighbor as self), God places a seal upon our foreheads so that we might not die--even though it is what we deserve.  In the days of the early Jewish movement, the policy was "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" (Exodus 21:23b-25).  Thinking of ourselves over others could mean the difference, literally, between life and death--for both the other and for ourselves.  But God seals us, protects us, and claims us as God's own by the waters of baptism and the seal of the oil cross on our forehead.  Death no longer has its sting; God will give us life everlasting.

There is another story of a seal, but this time by blood.  In the time of Moses and the Israelite captivity in Egypt, God told the Israelites to put blood on the frame of the door during the tenth plague, so that death might pass over those who bear witness to life in bold ways.  Sure, in Egyptian captivity, claiming one God against the many gods was a minority view, but most Israelites lived safely from persecution in faith; they weren't, however, safe from persecution in general, as they were made slaves because of their immigration status in Egypt.  It seems that blood on the door frame was more of a testimony to oneself and the trust one places in God's promises.  This would be especially true if you were the firstborn of the family (the oldest child) and the very stake you had in life over death (Exodus 12:1-30).  The mark of the ash on our heads reminds us that God does keep God's promises, especially the promise of life everlasting, where death, crying, and mourning will be no more.

There are two other passages to note from Biblical scripture that plays an important role in being sealed or marked.  The first is from Ezekiel, chapter 9.  In response to the ill ways Israel was living, the mark on the forehead showed commitment to the Lord, more than just in name alone.  It was a way of life.  Those who had the mark responded to God's call to follow by living a life worthy of... well, life.  Ezekiel was tired of people who said "yes" to God but than lived a life of immorality against God's command.   To be clear and also to refute some theologians who follow James because its about doing good to earn life, Ezekiel is not saying that (nor is James saying that works is equal to salvation, but that is another discussion for another day).  Rather, Ezekiel clearly lays out the life God has called one to live; all are welcome to this way of life.  It is a good path and it shows love towards God and towards one's neighbors.  But, we can openly reject God's way.  We can be (in this case) Christians for a moment and then turn our backs to God the rest of the year.  We can say God matters but not show how God matters.  In the words of James, we can be one who looks at the mirror one second and then forget what is seen the moment we turn our backs.  In response, both James and Ezekiel call us to live holy lives throughout the year, lives acceptable to the love God has shown us.

And then there is the Revelation of John.  This book is all about duality, more so than most of the Biblical books.  It's also about purity and the author of the Revelation of John relies at times on Ezekiel.  In a comparison to the above Ezekiel reference, Revelation 7:4 points out that there will be those given a seal of protection, which will play out when the plagues come (like the Exodus story, actually).  But they are not the only ones to receive a seal; Satan throughout Revelation tries to mimic God in every way (but always seems to fall short of God's power and might time after time).  Satan responds in kind in Revelation 13:16 to those who may or may not have heard God's call but turned to Satan all the same.  I must say, while I am a conservative theologian, I find Revelation more of an epic tale between good and bad; I do not assume a literal interpretation of the book and from all the research I have done, anyone that claims to be a literalist still uses metaphors when it proves their point (i.e. those who subscribe to the Left Behind books; I strongly recommend Barbara Rossing's book The Rapture Exposed for great insight into how theology has been misconstrued when dealing with understanding the Revelation of John).  From my understanding, the author to Revelation points out how there are clearly two extremes to our life: following God who has called, protected, and claimed us, or following the powers of this world who indeed influence us but has no real power over us.  It's a book about reliance in God and the constant reminder that we are truly in God's hands.  It reminds us to be constantly turning to God--the truth in this world--rather than towards people who can't compete with God.  At any given moment, we either tip the scale towards this world or God's kingdom, and we should always be cognizant of giving it all to God.

Why?  Because of what the ash symbolizes.  In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the world was formed and from the dust of the world, people came into being (Genesis 3:19b).  Dust is all we are.  Fragile, we can be blown about easily by the winds of change.  Incomplete, humanity naturally assumes it is greater than any other part of creation.  We were created out of God' good creation, but we have lost our way in that goodness.  Ash Wednesday, and Lent in general, calls us to return to the goodness that is in us, while also focusing on the ways that we have walked away from God, leaving our trust in God to be less than desired.  No one is better than any other person in this understanding for "all have sinned and fall[en] short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23); that is, except the one who by his death marks us for life: Jesus Christ, our Messiah.

Our ashes have a long history in the church, reminding ourselves of our fragility, our brokenness, our need for God in our lives.  It's only natural to hear the exact opposite message from wearing a cross on your forehead during the day's readings that include passage like

"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.  But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:5-6)  

This passage seems to contradict wearing ashes on your head, except one way to understand this is that the mark on your forehead isn't for others--it's for yourself and the reminder that when you do walk away from a mirror, to remember who has claimed, protected, and called you, and for at least one day, to be assured of that every time you walk back to the mirror.

If you can, I would encourage you to attend worship in the church you feel most comfortable, but to make sure you do attend worship.  Churches all across the world will be ready to receive you and care for you during the Lenten journey that is about to take place.  There are several churches in Patchogue, New York, where I live, that will be hosting Christians throughout the day.  I know my own Lutheran church on Jayne Avenue will be open all throughout the day, almost for 12 full hours, starting at 9 am, with services, prayer, meditation, and ashes available whenever you can fit it into your schedule, for even though this is a religious holy day, most businesses do not see Ash Wednesday as such and we want to make sure that we are available whenever you are ready to be assured of your own brokenness and God's eternal promise.  May your ashes remind you to follow God in your life, to know that you are claimed, protected, and called by the one who loves you so deeply to grant you eternal life, and to be assured that God's way is the true path we should all try to follow.