If Truth be Told, it Tolls for thee.

There are some truths that cannot be denied, nor in fact, should they be. Death, for example, is one of those undeniable facts of life. And, just in case it slips our minds, our faith tradition compels us to think about death.

At the beginning of the season of Lent, Ash Wednesday is one of those occasions when escaping the reality of our mortality seems futile. And really, it’s not such a bad thing to face.

Okay, so we’re all going to die and it doesn’t matter how rich or famous we are, or how good or bad, we will all suffer the same fate. Knowing that death is a kind of equalizer doesn’t make it any easier.

Lots of self-help gurus say that it is a healthy thing to consider our mortality because it gives us perspective on life. And I would agree because I really don’t want to spend a great deal of time in conflict with others if I only have a limited time here. I want to make the most of my time—living, loving, laughing.

The liturgy we have for Ash Wednesday provides a stark reminder of our mortality, but that’s not the end of the story.

Ashes became a symbol of death because this mortal body, when its spirit is gone, returns to ashes, to dust. To have ashes smudged on us is to deeply feel our mortality. In a world of many distractions, when it is increasingly difficult to discern what’s true, Ash Wednesday stands out as a moment of deep truth and an honest realization.

The ashes are, after all, nothing more than fine particles of carbon. Fine particles of the very building blocks of creation. Yet, we are all so much more than carbon. We are unique beings living in God itself. There is no escape from God’s presence. There is no outside. We exist inside Being itself and we always will. That is the truth behind our mortality.