Ash Wednesday

“So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplication, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.”

Daniel 9:3

          This form of prayer is foreign to many in modern times, but it was standard practice in the ancient world.  In order to convey to the Lord the seriousness of your request, you prayed after you had fasted, dressed in rough clothing and covered your head in ashes.  Presumably such a pitiful sight would appeal to God’s compassion, and your prayer request would be granted.  At least that’s how this practice was often understood.

          There may be another reason for this custom.  In the next verse Daniel acknowledged the faithfulness and compassion of God.  He believed God’s grace was not stingy waiting only for our humiliation.  He believed God would provide out of love and compassion.

          Perhaps the ashes are to serve as reminders of our spiritual condition.  They prompt us to remember that “we have sinned, committed iniquity, and rebelled.”  They are not the only material markers for our spiritual discipline.  Many wear a cross around their necks, or carry a nail in their pockets, or hang a picture of Jesus on a wall. We use water to baptize and eat the bread and drink of the cup.  We don’t worship these things, but they can help us to focus on what is important. They direct our attention to matters of the spirit.

          The ashes which mark the beginning of the season of Lent take us back to ancient days.  Christians have worn the smudge of the cross not to convince God to be merciful, but rather to remind us of how gracious God is.  “To the Lord belongs compassion and forgiveness.”

“From dust we have come and to dust we shall return, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through his son Jesus Christ.”