Ash Wednesday Pockets
One Ash Wednesday in college I attended service on campus instead of heading off to the Episcopal church, and a piece of the message from that service has stuck with me ever since. The preacher shared the teaching of a Rabbi who was said to have carried a piece of paper in each pocket as a reminder to himself. In the one "I am but dust and ash" - so similar to our Ash Wednesday reminder "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." In the other "For my sake the world was created." It makes me imagine everyone walking through the world with these two realities in their pockets. Seeing each person as humble dust, just like me, profoundly loved, just like me. So then, the gift of a God who says 'I love you so deeply that I will overcome death to show you that no mistake you can make will separate you from me' is not just for me, is not a reason to feel superior, but is a reason to rejoice and walk humbly.