Others took note some may have misunderstood what the ashes were and just thought I had terrible hygiene, or some may not have even cared. Both can be achieved through communication of words, but what really sways people is communication through actions. In the world of social justice, awareness is important, but advocacy is key. I can write and speak about my faith all I want, but unless I take action – unless I truly do something, I am no better than those who are silent. I strongly believe that words are important but that actions are what really matter in the end.
This beautiful tradition turns into a public declaration of what I believe. But also, it forces me to make a decision about the imposition of my faith. I find comfort in the tradition and feel connected to the global church even more so now as I observe it in South Africa. I would forget it was on my forehead and walked around without a second thought. In a country where as soon as I begin to speak people know I am not from South Africa and I already struggle to find my place, I did not mind this extra feeling of self-consciousness. The rest of the day, I did not see anyone else outside of our office with their ashen crosses. I blushed and sputtered out that it’s because it’s Ash Wednesday, a Christian holy day, and that I do know I have it on my forehead. I went to the store and the checker asked me if I knew I had dirt on my forehead. I held off from rubbing my forehead and preserved the ashen reminder of my faith for the rest of the day. But now, leaving the ashes on would be much more of a statement than it was last year. I was comforted by the many other students, staff and faculty around campus that bore the same cross on their forehead. While I was studying at California Lutheran University, I went to three different imposition of ashes throughout the day because I loved the services so much. I kept thinking, “People who are not Christian will give me weird looks, and what if they judge me? I have a meeting after this with people outside of the church, what will they think? But I just heard Scripture reading after Scripture reading about not hiding my faith and to not be ashamed of it.”
Every year I am reminded that I am accepted into the family of Christ through my baptism, and the dark cross on my forehead may feel temporary and light but it ties me to millions of brothers and sisters around the world.Įach year, I have an internal debate about if I should wipe the ashes from my forehead after the service. Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent is a time of the church year that I have come to love more than the rest. Yesterday, the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa observed Ash Wednesday in the midst of an HIV and AIDS workshop at a nearby venue in Johannesburg. 19, 2015, on her blog, “Little Ginger Big World.” Republished with the permission of the author. Allison Westerhoff is an ELCA missionary in South Africa.
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