Ash Wednesday: The Enourmous Privilege

This is Ash Wednesday. It is one of the most grateful days of the year for me. Why? This is a day that we set aside for the most searching self-inventory before God, and the most honest appraisal of our sin and brokenness that we can possibly offer him.

It is not easy. We are tempted to evade this .  All sins are attempts to fill voids in our lives, in the deepest places of our soul. Yet, sin in some measure is our only hope. For when we consciously acknowledge the seriousness of our predicament before God, at the same moment we recognize God as the one who extends mercy to us even in the midst of the truth of who we are. As Paul wrote: "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:8).

And so we must remember that we are mortal, that “To dust you will return.”  This, too, is good for us because we live in so much denial. Facing our mortality and sin in the shadow of Christ’s cross and impending resurrection is the healthiest way to deal with the truth of who we are.

Yet that is not the last word. “We are dying, says Saint Paul, and behold, we live.” It is, in one sense, a description of everyday experience, the fact that all of life is fragile, but that in the midst of it we are sustained by God’s presence and love as we make our journey home.

My prayer for each of you today is that you will return to the loving Father, the relationship he desires with you, and to acknowledge just how much you truly need his forgiveness, healing and love. Take one step today, and he will run towards you.

Awakening Transformation,

Rob+

Comments

[doug worgul]

Thank you for this meditation, Rob. A wonderful and insightful start to Ash Wednesday.

Grace to you, and peace.

drw