Scripture: Joel 2:15-16a – “Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people.” (NRSVue)
Today is Ash Wednesday, the Christian day of repentance and the beginning of the fast that lasts throughout the forty days of Lent. In many Christian churches, most notably Roman Catholic Churches, people gather to receive ashes while hearing the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It reminds us of our mortality and how we fall short of God’s hopes for us.
Confession is an essential part of Ash Wednesday and Lent, because it forces us to recall all the things that we have done that separate us from God. This is important, because it is very easy to forget every little thing and to fall into a pattern of distance from God that becomes so natural that we do not even notice it. During our prayers of confession, we look into our hearts to ask for forgiveness for all the things that we have done.
In the Roman Catholic Church, confession is a sacrament, a regular practice done to take communion with a clean heart. This confession is private, held in secret between the sinner and the priest. In Protestant circles, confession is usually a private affair between the sinner and God; we like the cut out the middle man. But when we look only into our own sins, we sometimes miss a larger point.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, held in the spring. A similar day of atonement in Judaism is Yom Kippur, held in the fall. What these days have in common is an emphasis on repentance and forgiveness. But another similarity is that both are public and communal.
We sometimes forget that our sins are larger than just our own personal mistakes. There are social factors that move us toward selfish or sinful behavior, even when we do not want to. We might prioritize our financial security and deny opportunities to others, not because we are cruel, but because we would be ruined if we did not. And there are many other ways in which the adult versions of “peer pressure” invite us to turn away from God as a group.
In ancient Israel, when God was angry, people repented as a group. One example is found in the Book of Joel, which depicts a terrible famine caused by locusts. Joel recommends a fast as a response, an attempt to seek God’s mercy in the face of their sin. He says, “Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people.” He suggests that even nursing mothers and couples in the middle of wedding ceremonies should pause and fast together.
Ash Wednesday and other days like it remind us that repentance is something that we need to do together and that transformation is something that we must do together. If confessions forces us to confront our shortcomings, that mental energy cannot stop with our own choices, but with the choices we make as part of a larger community. So, as we enter the season of Lent, make sure to pray every day. Choose a fast that best fits your spiritual needs. But make sure to also find support with the larger community of faith, for then we can find that transformation that brings new life not just to ourselves, but to the world around us.
Prayer: God of might and power, give me a clear heart so I may serve you. And open my eyes to how we may all work together to clean each other’s hearts as well. Amen.
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