Finding Faith ... in the sobering reminder that we are but dust

EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2021 I began a new venture writing a newspaper column titled "Finding Faith" for the Forum Communications Co. network of newspapers and websites. I was asked to contribute to the company's ongoing conversation about faith, lending a Lutheran and fairly ecumenical approach to the discussion. The column was published in several of the company's papers and websites, including The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. This column originally appeared as a "Finding Faith" column on Feb. 9, 2024.

The Rev. Devlyn Brooks at his home church, Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn.

By The Rev. Devlyn Brooks

This coming week, on Ash Wednesday, tens of millions of Christians in the Western World will allow a faith leader to smudge black ashes in the shape of a cross on their forehead while uttering the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Truth: It’s a sobering experience to look into the eyes of your congregation, one by one, and remind them that the physical lives they are now living are irrelevant in the grand scheme of creation.

I often wonder how various parishioners receive this message.

Do those in their advanced years accept their mortality more easily than those who are younger? Do the children of our congregation think, “Why is the pastor dabbing ashes on my forehead? Are my parents OK with this?”

Or what about those who might have a terminal illness? What might this practice mean to them? Or even those who just received joyous news in their lives? Does this rite ruin it for them?

So many questions rattle through your mind as you are painting black crosses on people who normally look to you to confirm the goodness of life and affirm all of the Creator’s promises!

As somber as the observance can be, I am deeply moved by Ash Wednesday, a holy day of prayer in the Christian tradition, and also the first day of Lent. It marks the beginning of the period of Jesus’ 40 days spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan himself. This critical time in the church calendar will lead us directly into the joyous celebration of Easter, the day on which the Son of God was resurrected and conquered death itself.

Thus when on Ash Wednesday we receive the imposition of ashes symbolizing the inevitable death of our physical bodies here on earth, we are also reminded of Jesus overcoming his earthly death just a mere 40 days later.

And I don’t think that you have to be Christian to greatly benefit from receiving the ashes and being verbally reminded that you are mortal. After all, death on earth is one of the few truly immutable things every single one of us have in common.

So that being the case, why wouldn’t we want to spend this singular life being a little kinder, a little more equitable, a little bit more compassionate and more loving? After all, you will not be taking anything you now possess, including your body, with you when you perish!

This year, I sincerely pray that when you receive your ashes, you are reminded that while we can’t escape death in this world, we are graciously born again through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection three days later.

And to me, that seems to be the single greatest exchange you’ll ever receive in your life! … Amen.

Devlyn Brooks is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and serves Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. He blogs about faith at findingfaithin.com, and can be reached at devlynbrooks@gmail.com.