[12] “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; [13] and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
I wholeheartedly commend participating in the imposition of ashes this Wednesday at your congregation. The ashen cross can both help us comprehend the depth of God’s grace in Christ and bear witness that we understand our desperate need for the Savior.
While the potential benefit of the imposition of ashes is clear, there is often tension concerning whether we should wear the ashen cross in public.
When I was a journalist, I washed the ashen cross off my forehead before returning to work. I was responding to Matthew 6:1: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Today, I wear the cross until the very end of the day. This is in response to 1 Peter 3:15-16, which exhorts us to always be prepared to share the reason for our eternal hope. A couple of times the ashen cross has given me opportunities to share the faith.
The bottom line is each of us has the freedom to decide whether or not to wear the ashen cross in public. Pray about which choice is best for you, then act with confidence as a redeemed child of God.
Kevin Wilson 360 