Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. Lent is a time of preparation and repentance as we remember Jesus’s path towards his death on the cross for our salvation. Traditionally, Ash Wednesday is a solemn day spent reflecting on our own mortality and need for a savior. Unlike the big Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter, Ash Wednesday and Lent as a whole haven’t picked up much widespread popularity outside of the most traditional churches. It’s almost like dwelling on the fact that one day you won’t be here anymore is kind of a downer, and willfully going without (fasting) is hard.
Even if you don’t put ashes on your forehead or start a forty day fast you can still take time to remember and appreciate the gift of salvation that Jesus gave us. Salvation is something we all needed. Salvation is something we cannot create for ourselves.
Romans 3:21-24 tells us, “…now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
Try as we might to be our own salvation, we fall short because we are unable to live a sinless perfect life. How hard is it to admit that we don’t have it all together? Actually living really gets in the way of having the perfectly manicured life we’d like to portray. But in this season, we can reflect and remember that we were never asked to live that perfect life. While we were (and are) sinners Jesus died so that we may be forgiven.
In the next forty days I hope you take some time to consider the reason we celebrate Easter.