Dust in the Hands of a Loving God

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Ash Wednesday – 1 March 2017

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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Our New Testament lesson today recognizes a very important reality for people of faith: it recognizes that we live in a world that is filled with difficulties. In this lesson, Paul lists off what he’s had to endure: afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger. He’s been dishonored, treated as an imposter, and practically dead. He’s been through some things.

Ash Wednesday recognizes some important realities for people of faith, too: it reminds us that we are dust and will return to dust – an important reminder of our humanity. But the ashes that we receive are not merely left in a heap upon our heads, the ashes are placed in the shape of a cross – as a reminder that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And Christ died for us because of God’s great love for us.

There are several circumstances in my ministry in which I place crosses on people’s foreheads. The first is when I baptize someone – after the water has been poured over them, I mark them with the cross of Christ. I also mark a cross on the foreheads of people during times of prayer or when we are asking God’s blessing upon someone. I’ve marked crosses on the foreheads of people near death. And each year, on Ash Wednesday, I mark crosses of ash on your foreheads, and I say the ancient words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Remember that you are dust. 

It can be difficult to think about this – to remember that we are dust. In our New Testament lesson today, Paul says that we possess everything, which seems to stand in contrast to remembering that we are dust. Dust seems so impermanent – you blow on it, and it scatters.

But the sign of the cross reminds us again and again that, even though we are dust, we do have everything, because we have Christ. It’s almost as if God takes all of us who are dust, collects us together, and shapes us into a new creation through Christ. We may be dust, but we are dust in the hands of a loving God.

Remember that you are dust – dust in the hands of a loving God, who will never let you go.

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