Ash Wednesday

Ash wednesday

Happy Ash Wednesday! The day the Church starts the season of Lent, which ends with Good Friday; where Jesus dies on the cross. Ash Wednesday is a day to remember our mortality, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return"

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16) Lent is for us to prepare our hearts to understand how much God loves us; all of us, globally; everyone; no exceptions. This is good news, great news, the absolutely greatest news! Or at least it should be.

I heard a pastor once say Jesus died on a cross so we did not have to, it seems that is a common belief, the problem is that is the exact opposite of what Jesus teaches.

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

Jesus commands His followers to love the way God loves; love everyone; globally; no exception. Is that good news? Are we willing to die for our enemies? That is the love Jesus gave to the world, that is the love that will change the world.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Evil keeps telling us that if we kill the right people we can make the world a better place. That violence is needed to protect ourselves, our families, our communities, our nation. That is just another way of saying darkness can drive out darkness or hate is the answer for hate. We just need better instruments to kill than our enemies. However, that is not the love of Jesus and that is not true peace.

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice" - Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Things are looking real bad lately, violence is not being limited to our enemies but being extended to people because they are from other counties, races, religions or cultures. Darkness only begets more darkness, hate only begets more hate. This is a form of cannibalism and will fail. Love wins, hard as it might seem sometimes, love wins.

The quotes above from Jesus do not end with people taking up their crosses, if we take up our cross we get to follow Jesus. Easter is coming. Those that understand we are currently only dust and are willing to use our dust to further the love that Jesus taught will be rewarded. We will one day be surrounded by love and only love.