Ashes to ashes: Baptismal reminder

(Photo by OXH973)

Although “dust thou art, to dust returnest was not spoken of the soul,” it certainly has been spoken of the body.

Baptized Christians, however, often forget this part of the sacrament.  Focusing mainly upon the joy of being reborn in the spirit, they skip the part about dying to this world first.

Paul states this very clearly in Romans 6:  Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?  Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life…

Ash Wednesday is not just about giving up chocolate.  It is a strident call to turn the attention from this worldly realm to the spiritual one.  As burnt streaks fade from Christian foreheads, will such baptismal memories have seeped within? 

Will followers of Christ’s Way then recall that this life is but a mere parenthetical experience between ? and ?   If the soul is not dust, then what is it?  Lent is all about finding out.

Resources

http://biblehub.com/romans/6-4.htm 

Copyright February 11, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved