Death and Emptiness

Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, and I was on retreat with the people I serve in my job, who are spending a year in service. I led a service in which I reminded the volunteers about their impending deaths. "You will not be able to accomplish everything you want to accomplish," I told these bright and dedicated young people. "Some of your labors may bear no fruit." And then, I rubbed these old, grimy ashes between my fingers, and smeared them on foreheads, one at a time, whispering, "You are dust, and to dust you will return."

In some ways, religion is all about preparing for death. It gives us the tools to live a good life, and hope for something more on the other side of the veil. At the same time, it is stunning to be the one doing the marking, making black crosses on the faces of people who are almost all younger than I am. These too, will pass away, and so will you. But the strength of the Lord will endure forever. What a stark reality to confront.