Take a deep breath.
You are going to die.
Isn’t that nice to hear? Well, maybe not, but it is the truth. Or, maybe it is nice to hear in a world and culture where we spend a lot of time and energy ignoring, avoiding, denying that truth – that we will die. It is a truth we remember each Ash Wednesday as ashes are placed on our forehead and we hear the words, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you will return.” Life is short and it is precious, and it only comes by the grace of God who breathes life into dust.
You are dust
You are particles.
Or, more particularly…
You are Systems (limbic, nervous, circulatory, skeletal) made of cells (hundreds of billions of them and every day hundreds of millions die and hundreds of millions are created) made of molecules made of atoms made of protons, neutrons, electrons made of quarks and other subatomic particles and these particles are billions of years old.
And, more specifically than all of that, you’re mostly space. You are the energy flowing between all of these things. You are an intricate relationship of energy
This is Why it’s “draining” and feels like it “sucked the life right out of you” – maybe you did
The same things as other things
Why you say, “I just feel really connected to nature”, it’s like this has become a part of me
It probably has – molecules and atoms and subatomic particles are exchanged and shared, no one is really quite sure what all happens in the space between, something new emerges when we are gathered and when we exchange these things with one another.
You are dust
You are also so much more
Rob Bell – You are an exotic cocktail of dust and soul, spirit and bone
You are dust that is capable of receiving the authentic, deep, active, willing to suffer, unconditional love of God freely given again and again no matter how many times you tell yourself you don’t deserve it, or how many times, by telling yourself how great you are, you forget that you need it.
You are dust that is capable of sharing this love with others by letting this energy of divine love flow through you. After all, you’re a complex relationship of energy, so let this energy be your animating force.
You are a sinner
You are also more than your actions or inactions – as Bryan Stevenson puts it, “A person is more than the worst thing they’ve ever done.”
You are a saint – but don’t make your practice of your faith about you.
Sin and forgiveness
Death and resurrection happening in you all the time cells die and are reborn
Saint and sinner in you together
You are marked with a cross – the same cross with which you were marked in baptism.
Baptism where you have died in Christ and have been raised to new life in Christ.
What then shall we fear? We know death, and it does not stop the eternal life and steadfast love of God. We know and will confess the truth of our sin, our mistakes, our imperfections, our brokenness because they are not what and who we are. You are beloved child of God.
Fearless. Beloved. Beautiful.
When you pray this Lent, pray boldly. Pray for God to reveal God’s will so that you might join in the work God is already doing to reconcile the whole world. Pray for the world and the courage and knowledge to make it safer, cleaner, more peaceful and just. Pray for people – those you know and those you don’t – that they might know they are fearfully and wonderfully made and fully loved by God.
When you fast this Lent, fast daringly. Fast from harmful and hurtful words and instead offer loving and kind words. Fast from empty complaints and begin with a posture of gratitude. Fast from always having to get a word in, and listen and spend more time in silence. Fast from something you think you cannot live without, and be filled with the life-giving presence of God. Fast from always having to “do” something and spend time being present where you are and with those near you.
When you give this Lent, give outrageously. Spend more time in a conversation with a friend instead of rushing off to the next thing. Give to someone you wouldn’t normally give to. Write a kind note to someone for no particular reason. Give your in-kind donations of cereal plus a cash donation and an hour of your time to Helping Hands. Give to meet a need before anyone has even asked.
Pray, fast, and give. Not for a reward. But because these will fuel your life, connect you with God and one another, turn you back to the cross, remind you of the promises of your baptism. Pray, fast, and give not because it’s all about you and how great you are; but because it’s not all about you, it’s about God and God’s abundant and steadfast love for you and for the world.
Life is short. You are dust and you will return to dust.
God makes beautiful things out of dust – out of you.
No matter how messy the dust is, God enters into it – into you.
God transforms dust – transforms us – so that we have new and everlasting life and the ability to share that good news, share God’s love, and share in God’s mission of reconciling all things – after all, we’re all the same stuff, and we’re all one in Christ,
We’re all dust, and God makes beautiful things out of the dust – out of us.
0 Comments