Ash Wednesday
In a way the complaint is like that of a child who wants to
have braces on her teeth. She somehow thinks
that braces are neat even though they entail discomfort, care, and maybe
ridicule. Ashes are a sign that the
person has sinned. It is like the
scarlet letter that Hester Prynne has to wear on her dress in The Scarlet
Letter.
But, on second thought, a cross of ashes does indicate that
we have made a critical choice. They
confess guilt, but more importantly express reliance on Jesus Christ for
salvation. It proclaims that we do not
dismiss our sins as unimportant. Nor do
we self-justify them either with an argument of defense or an act of self-absolution.
No, the cross of ashes indicates our
faith in Christ’s sacrifice as purgative of our guilt. For this reason, it seems right to make the
sign of the cross as the ashes fall on her heads.
