The mark of Jesus

It takes only a few seconds to apply but, boy, is it ever hard to get off. The sign of the cross placed on the forehead from Ash Wednesday, I mean.

Not everybody reading this missive will know to what I am referring. Some churches don't observe the ritual of applying palm ash underneath the hairline because they don't observe the season of Lent. They say it's not scriptural. They're right -- it's not.

Lent is a church-created 40-day season to make sure Easter doesn't sneak up on us. Advent has the same function leading up to Christmas. We turn Lent into a time of self-examination -- replete with special Bible studies, renewed calls to prayer and invitations to fast.

It might be a "normal" fast (no food but water and juices permitted) or an "absolute" fast (no food or drink period). The hope is that by observing Lent we prepare our hearts and minds for Jesus' passion on the cross and his subsequent resurrection.

But the critics are right. Jesus doesn't command or suggest it. Lent is not in the Bible anywhere. So if you didn't get the palm ash (mixed with baby oil, typically) on your forehead this past week, it's perfectly OK. You also don't have to scrub your forehead to get the mark off. Typically the ashes I prepare are so dark that my forehead is red for a couple of days afterward because of the effort needed to remove them.

Most of my life in ministry has been spent in settings where the Roman Catholic Church has a dominant presence. So, over the years, it's been quite common to walk into Wal-Mart, the post office or a convenience store and see someone with a cross smudge.

It nearly always takes me aback, and I'm glad. In a culture that scrubs clean evidence of Christian influence, the mark of Ash Wednesday is a silent witness to whom we belong. To say it differently, the black smudge is a reminder that we not our own but are paid for with a price -- the blood of Jesus of Nazareth.

There are other visual cues Christians give off: a cross worn about the neck, a WWJD bracelet around the wrist or a religiously-themed T-shirt emblazoned with messages like, "In case of rapture, the shirt's yours!"

The most powerful visual cue we can give has little to do with a smudge, a cross, a bracelet or a colorful "Jesus" T-shirt. It's just this -- demonstrated caring. Jesus is quoted as saying, "By this all will know you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)

Ten days removed from Valentine's Day, let's be clear -- love does not mean "superlike."

Nowhere does Jesus advise his followers to like one another. "Love one another" is not about affection or warm feelings. It's about action in demonstrable ways to show caring.

A smudge on the forehead? Not bad, but it wears off in time. Actions, not ashes, endure; they're the best way to tell others who we are and to whom we belong.

Jeff Long is pastor of Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau. Married with two daughters, he is of Scots and Swedish descent, loves movies, and is a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.