In the days before Ash Wednesday, as the fires of war rage in Ukraine, we reflect on dust and ashes, on the weakness and flaws of mortal humans, and on the amazing, eternal love of God.

Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. (Genesis 18:27)

In the house my family lived in when I was small, the kitchen range was neither gas nor electric. It was a wood-burning stove. Which meant that one of the chores for children was to carry in the firewood, and another childhood chore was to carry out the ashes. Carrying in the firewood required more strength. Carrying out the ashes required more care.

We used a small metal rake to carefully rake the ashes out of the firebox and into a bucket. Carefully, because any rapid movement would send light flakes of ash flying into the air. Even after the ashes were in the bucket, any quick and careless movement could send ash throughout the kitchen, and the next chore would be to sweep up the mess!

I have a well-earned appreciation for how a small puff of wind can send ashes flying.

I am but dust and ashes – unfixed, insubstantial, likely to blow away at the slightest breeze.

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Those traditional words, spoken on Ash Wednesday as the ashes are placed on each worshiper's forehead, remind us of our mortality. They are echoed in the words spoken at many a graveside: “We commit this body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” (Book of Common Prayer).

Both rites draw on the imagery of Genesis 2:7: “The Lord God formed a human being from the dust of the ground” (REB). But when Abraham modestly confessed, “I am but dust and ashes,” he spoke only a half-truth. The full verse from Genesis says more: “The Lord God formed a human being from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being.”

Every one of us is but dust and ashes – dust and ashes, into which God has breathed the gift of life, and into which Christ has breathed the Holy Spirit (John 20:22).

On this Ash Wednesday, let us, each one, remember who we are. We are but dust and ashes, insubstantial and often unreliable. But we are also the earthen vessels into which the Holy God has placed the Divine Spirit. Yes, let us remember who we are – the whole truth of who we are.

Photo by Lydia Tallent on Unsplash

As I am reading and meditating on this Easy Read Bible translation,

...it seems like such a simple thing, that God created us from dust and then one day we become dust again. From the first day to the last day, we work. End of story.

In my meditation, my mind wandered back to 20 years ago. It was one of those sermons you never forget. The storyteller left the altar space, walked down to pew level, knelt on the floor, and told this story: "One day, God thought of you and me in the years far, far away. God thought of all the humans God wanted to love and decided to make it happen." The storyteller bent down and with both hands scooped up a large amount of imaginary dirt. He silently and tenderly worked the dirt in his hands until it became clay; molded it, formed it, and then held high the imaginary form of clay; then lovingly drew it to his breast. He gently but powerfully breathed into it like God’s own life-giving breath, God’s Spirit.

And then the story ends this way, according to Job:

The eternal story, happily, does not end there. The sequel follows, as we read the eschatological visions in Revelation:

” I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, “Now God’s home is with people. He will live with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways are gone. The one who was sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” So Simple. For God.

--Jan

Did you know that the nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie" actually refers to The Black Plague (Bubonic Plague) which ravaged Europe from the 14th to 17th century, killing up to 200 million people, (60%) of the population? Most classic nursery rhymes are actually real European tales, converted to rhymes and games, so that the children would learn their history -- history not that much different from today's Covid Plague, for one.

Look here for the meaning of "Ashes to Ashes".

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