Ashes and Chocolate
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. –John 3:16-17 NRSV Bible
Also read: UMH 480
Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day. It is not too often that these two events are celebrated on the same day. A holy day and a holiday sharing the same 24 hours. Ashes and chocolate… Penitence and proclamations of love… Fasting and feasting… How might we mark the beginning of the Lenten journey while the world dresses in red and celebrates romance? Actually, we do so by remembering that God’s love, as lived by Jesus, grounds us on these 40 days of prayer and preparation for the celebration of Easter.
It is love, God’s self-giving love, that sets Jesus’ heart and feet toward Jerusalem. This is a love that will never let us go. It is a love that will die so that we might live. It is a love that is ever-present, within us and around us. It is a love that is available to everyone. Yes, friends, in the vernacular of the holiday, we are God’s valentines, but not just for a day but for all eternity.
So, with ashes, fasting, prayer, reflection, and worship we mark this first day of the Lenten journey. Love and Be loved. It is the way of Jesus, and it is our way as well.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for loving us as we are. Thank you for loving so much that you would set your heart toward Jerusalem and never look back. Be with us on this Lenten journey. Meet us and speak to us through these daily devotions. And may the world see you and your love in us. Amen.
Rev. David Eardley
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