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“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

February 22, 2023

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17  |  Isaiah 58:1-12  |  Psalm 103  |  2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10  |  Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

In my sleep a few nights ago, I saw & heard these words:
 “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

But don’t worry, I didn’t take it personally… Well, at least not TOO personally!  These are the words from our Book of Common Prayer, p. 265… from our Ash Wednesday liturgy. These are the exact words spoken as the ashes are formed as a sign of the cross on our foreheads, as we kneel at the rail.

These words are a reminder to every single one of us that:

  • We will not live on this earth, in these physical bodies forever.
  • What are we doing with the life we’ve been gifted?
  • Who are we being in this life here?
  • We do not know how much longer we may inhabit these bodies.
  • Do we REALLY believe there’s life AFTER the death of our physical bodies?

And if so, WHY does that matter?  Does that make a difference with how we live now?

I will confess that I am not just a fan but devotee of the tv show “AGT” (“America’s Got Talent”).  I am inspired by the amazing talents of people from ALL walks of life… Many of them take my breath away!  Right now the show has transformed into “AGT ALL STARS.”  One of the things I appreciate about the ALL STARS version is that the emphasis isn’t on only Americans with talent… It’s about ALL people, from all over the WORLD.

There is a boy from England.  He’s 7 yrs. old.  His name is Aneeshwar Kunchala & he tells the story of when he was 4 yrs. old.  He saw an image of a whale struggling & dying because it was caught up in a massive amount of plastic in the ocean.  Aneeshwar says, “My heart was broken!” So he told his parents that he had to do something to make a difference.  The first thing he did was write a script (yes, when he was only 4 yrs. old) for a documentary & titled it,

“6 WAYS TO SAVE THE PLANET.”  And it was produced!  He is, in my opinion, a very old & very wise soul.  On AGT ALL STARS he speaks to the judges, the audience, the WORLD. He begins

by saying, “We only have this ONE planet… Earth.”  He continues by reminding us that we SHARE this planet… not only with each other – other human beings – but with ALL LIFE on this planet! NO EXCEPTIONS!  Plants & animals, the air we breathe, the waters of the earth, the soil… And human beings, he reminds us, are responsible for ALL LIFE on this planet.  WE are the stewards.  We have been ENTRUSTED by the CREATOR of ALL to respect the dignity of every form with which we share life…

I am profoundly moved & inspired by this 7 yr. old boy from England.  And I can’t help but believe that he is a prophet from God to ALL of us.  What he is essentially saying is the same thing as “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” TICK TOCK..

Pam Gregory