Ash Wednesday might be one of the days in the year when you’re actually lying to the people on the subway that you’re Jewish–just to avoid ashes being rubbed on your forehead. Or to the contrary you might be a devout Christian who humbly welcomes this ritual traditionally connected with the beginning of the Lent. If you’re somewhere in between, you take the ashes on your forehead as a sign that spring might actually come also this year and maybe that reminder of impermanence of living resonates somewhere deep within you…
“I invite you today to go somewhere where someone who will touch you gently on your forehead and tell you that you are dust and to dust you will return,” emailed us pastor Kerlin Richter from Bushwick Abbey, the self-proclaimed “Church That Doesn’t Suck.”
She further invited us to think of practices we would like to take up and habits we would like to lay down, which regardless of your faith or a lack of it, is a good idea. Check out the guides Pastor Kerlin included for your inspiration. (Here‘s one and Here’s another and just for fun Here.) Think getting rid of jealousy, stepping outside of your comfort zone or finally stop people pleasing.
To staple all the good undertakings for this year’s Lent, Bushwick Abbey will be hanging out at Jefferson L train stop today from 4:30pm to 6:30pm rubbing ashes into people’s foreheads. Whether you decide to go for a dusty smudge on your forehead or avoid said location altogether, take a moment today to reflect on how you can become a better person and a better member of this community. It might sound obvious but better world is in fact just a bunch of people being better to one another. And you cannot change anyone else except you…
Bushwick Abbey is a non-typical Episcopal church based on values of community, acceptance, and modern living. They meet every Sunday at noon at 176 St. Nicholas Ave.