Washing Ashes

I mentioned last month that I have a hard time planning ahead at the end of the year, and I have to confess that I used a mental game to get past writing this article: I thought about the word “ash” and realized there are many words built from “ash” – for instance, bash, cash, dash, gash, lash, mash, rash, sash, and wash. If you allow for more letters, it nearly becomes infinite – quash, stash, clash, and so forth. However, it’s interesting to note that “ash” and “wash” are nearly at opposite ends of the spectrum. Ashes are things we sweep off, wash off, rinse off, or just generally don’t like to keep around because they are dirty in some way – they stain, smell, or just look like dirt. We would wash ashes away gladly!

But, when we peer into how ashes are used, especially in the Bible, it gets more interesting. Ashes are used to make soap, and they are good for fertilizing and cleaning. In the Bible, ashes are also used as a symbol of purification – as in putting on sackcloth and ashes in repentance (this reference shows up 9 times, 7 in the Old and 2 in the New Testament). Ashes also symbolize death and ruin, as in cities burned to ash. Ashes also resemble dust, which is what we are made of - “then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) In fact, the service of death and resurrection (funeral service) has as a standard phrase for the prayer of committal – “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” to remind us that we came from nothing and return to nothing, except by the grace of God. So – in fact, ashes are used for washing – washing the body, the mind, and the spirit!

All of this is to say – when we get to Ash Wednesday and starting the season of Lent, keep in mind that the ashes are doing a lot of work! They are a reminder that we survive and thrive by the grace of God. They are a reminder to take our mortality seriously and make the most of whatever time we have left on earth. They are a symbol of repentance and a symbol of becoming clean. Most of all, they are a physical reminder of the spiritual reality that we are beloved children of God!