Day 1

DUST 

"You are dust, and to dust you shall return." 

Genesis 3:19 

On the first day of Lent, which the church calls Ash Wednesday, many people have their foreheads crossed with ashes as a reminder that they are creatures of dust. We are fragile, fallible, fallen human beings. From the moment we emerge from our mother's womb, we begin the process of dying. 

To think that one day we will be nothing but ashes is a pretty grim reality. Not surprisingly, many of us avoid facing this truth. We don't want to reflect on it or speak about it or even read about it. After all, when we begin to sense how near to nothing we are, we can easily find ourselves in despair. Being born to die is not good news. 

However, the fact that we are marked by the sign of the cross tells us we are infinitely more than dust. We are God's beloved, and nothing—not even death—can separate us from God's love through Jesus Christ. Our dust is charged with God's own life-sustaining and death-defeating breath. We are beloved dust. 

Daily Practice 

Go outside and pick up a handful of soil. As you do so, focus on these two symbols: dust and the cross. Even as you wash the dirt from your hands, remember the reality of your identity: You are dust redeemed by the cross.