On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10, interrupted by intermittent showers, the Rev. Clarence Li, rector of St. Hilda’s Anglican Church, along with Pastor Richard Hergesheimer and Meg Stevens, were graced to engage some 20 or so people with 15 of them receiving ashes at the inaugural Ashes to Go event in downtown Sechelt.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season of Lent in the Western Christian church. On this day, Christians historically marked their forehead with the sign of the cross in ashes, an ancient sign speaking of the frailty and uncertainty of human life, and marking a call to return to what is life-giving. The words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” are said as the ashes are put on the forehead.
Li said they were constantly surprised by the readiness of some to receive ashes by the sidewalk and the searching questions others asked regarding this ancient call to return to life.
When asked about the relevance of this ritual in 2016, Li said, “In the light of the ecological crisis and the acts of violence in many parts of our world today, the sign of ashes can be a powerful wake-up call for all, Christians and non-Christians alike, to pause, re-examine our lifestyles, and take stock on how we may have personally contributed to the denigration of the Mother Earth and human relationships. The ancient invitation to fast and repent can take on new meanings because our world urgently needs us to fast from judging and to return to compassionate living.”
