Dirt

So, Lent has begun. And as some people may have noticed, I tend to be very aware of liturgical (and natural) seasons. So, predictably, I've been reflecting on Lent.

We had to make nail necklaces for the Ash Wednesday service, and it was a dirty affair. We had to wipe the grease and grime off the masonry nails we were using, and even then my hands quickly turned black from the nails and handling the black leather cord, which also left black particles all over the place.

Cindy made some comment about the dirtiness of sin, our own impurity. She was mostly kidding, but there is something about dirt that seems very lenten. Partly about our own lack of cleanliness, but, really, life is dirty affair. Incarnation is dirty, and crucifixion is certainly a mess. I don't want to get too gross here, but much of normal, embodied life is really messy. So I guess the dirt and ashes and dark colors is reminding me of the wonder of the incarnation - God decided to have one of these sloppy weird bodies and hang out with us in the dirt. Wow.