Metro Creative

Last week, we spoke of discipline and the opportunities to take this time of Lent to deepen our spiritual life. Why would I want to comment on Ash Wednesday a week or so ago? I, along with many other Christians, went to church last Wednesday to receive the ashes on our foreheads. With the words” Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return”. I am positive that many in our current culture would find these words not only depressing but also so threatening to one’s development. That these words would somehow limit the individual and retard their growth and their ability to be their authentic self.

Many in our current times see religion as a limiting force. This is not new; the anti-God and religion champions have had Christianity under scrutiny and disdain for hundreds of years. Recently, I got a copy of The End of Faith by Sam Harris, published in 2004 and on the New York Times Bestseller list for 33 weeks. It sold a quarter of a million copies.( That was some 22 years ago.) Sam Harris found religion a danger and wants to replace Religion with Reason and this will modify human behavior. Interestingly Reason was one of the basic tenets of the French Revolution in 1789. It failed as an ideal, and in 1801, a Concordat was made between Napoleon and the Vatican, putting France back on a Christian path. There have been philosophers from Kant to Nietzsche, to the voice of Richard Dawkins in our own century. They all share the same idea: ridding society of religion. Holiday parties in schools do not include playing or singing certain Christmas carols. There are no blessings before eating in a secular potluck, dinner, or banquet. I am sure you have been in a group where you expected a prayer, only to have it disallowed because of the group’s secular setting. We have attempted to remove any religious symbols or ceremonies from everyday life. Granted, our Constitution allows separation of Church and State, but when the Constitution was written, religion was not to be tied to the government, and it was assumed that citizens would follow the religion of their choice. The separation of Church and State was not seen as a tool to rid society of religion.

As I was at my church to receive the ashes, symbolic of my mortality. This small ceremony reminds me that I am a human being and thus someday I will die. Reminding me that what I do in my life matters. Reminding me of my limits and my potential. Calling me to love and to lead me to see my call to holiness and my duty and responsibility to my community. As a Christian, I have a path and a duty. As a Christian, I have been given the grace to travel this road of love and care, and with certainty.

Ash Wednesday amazed me this year with what I saw. I went to church a bit early and was amazed to find that, upon arrival, I could not find a parking spot. There were so many people, standing room only, with some waiting to get in. I had never seen so many come to Ash Wednesday. I also saw many who were not members of the church; some were from other denominations. Even stranger, when I called my sister in California, she told me the same thing: her church was packed, and many of the attendees were from other churches. The phenomenon of non-members attending the Ash Wednesday service had attracted large crowds. What does this say about our Christian life?

I believe that many people find the violence and uncertainty of our times are turning to God and their Christian roots. People miss the structure and grace that Faith brings. They need the certainty of our Christian path. They want to see a community they can recognize and can find peace in. The division and demands of our current lives are sending many people into anxiety and depression. We long for a time when relationships were simpler and more human. Perhaps the most important observation from this event is that Christians are recognizing what draws us together. Jesus is our common bond. Love of God and Love of neighbor, as demanding as that is, are vital to all Christian members, regardless of church membership. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our mortality and the forgiveness by our merciful God. As Jesus said: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20). He is with us, let us unite under Jesus name in praise!