Eat MY Dust

Ash Wednesday
February 25, 2009

Today's Word:
Joel 2:12-18 (Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord)
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 & 17 (Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned)
2 Corinthians 5:20 - 6:2 (Now is the acceptable time!)
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 (Jesus teaches on almsgiving, prayer, and fasting)


No more pre-season fanfare. It's here. Now. Mardi Gras has passed; Carnivale is over.

Suddenly the lights have gone out, and all is in darkness. Then they come on with a blinding brightness, and expose you for who you really are.

I close my eyes
Only for a moment and the moment's gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind

Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind, oh...

Now, don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the Earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind (all we are is dust in the wind)
Dust in the wind (everything is dust in the wind)
Everything is dust in the wind
The wind

--Dust In The Wind (1977)
written by Kerry Livgren
Recorded by Kansas

Not at all like "I'm gonna live forever," is it? And it can happen in the flash of an instant; in the blinking of an eye.

Now if that's too heavy for you, consider something a bit more up-tempo:

She told him she'd rather fix her makeup
Than try and fix what's going on
But the problem keeps on calling
Even with the cellphone gone

She told him that she believes in living
Bigger than she's living now
But her world keeps spinning backwards
And upside down

Don't say so long, you're not that far gone
Don't spin today away, 'cause today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone
Like history is gone
Just try and prove me wrong
And pretend like you're immortal

She said, he said,
Live like no tomorrow
Everyday we borrow
Brings us one step closer to the edge, infinity
Where's your treasure
Where's your hope
If you get the world and lose your soul?
She pretends like she pretends like
She's immortal

Don't say so long and throw yourself wrong
This could be your big chance to make up
Today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone
Like history is gone
The world keeps spinning on
Your going, going
Gone, like summer break is gone,
Like Saturday is gone
Just try and prove me wrong and
Pretend like your immortal

We are not infinite
We are not permanent
Nothing is immediate
And we pretend like we're immortal
We are so confident in our accomplishments.
Look at our decadence.

Gone, like Frank Sinatra, gone
Like Elvis and his mom, gone
Like Al Pacino's cash
Nothing lasts in this life.
My High School dreams are gone,
my childhood streets are gone
Life is a day that doesn't last for long.

Life is more than money, time was never money.
Time was never cash, life is still more than girls.
Life is more than hundred dollar bills and roto-tom fills.
Life is more than fame and rock and roll and thrills
All the riches of the kings end up in wills
We've got information in the information age
But do we know what life is
Outside of our convenient Lexus cages?

She said he said live like no tomorrow
Every moment that we borrow brings us closer
To the God who's not short of cash
Hey Bono, I'm glad you asked.

Life is still worth living
Life is still worth living.
Life is more that you are.

--Gone (2003)
written by Jon & Tim Foreman
recorded by Switchfoot

There's no reason to elaborate further, is there? Ash Wednesday reminds us that we're not in this plane of existance forever. Where do we go from here?

Oh, about the subject reference...If we're all dust, as is suggested in Genesis and by today's themes, so is the rest of creation and what we ingest.

On the other hand, I just checked my body composition this morning, and according to the scale my body is 51.9% water. No matter; clay or mud seems to be rather suitable as a starting place for most creativity...