A Curious Convergence

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent and a time when we remember Jesus' 40 days in the desert fasting and resisting temptation. The ashes for this day are created by burning palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration, and the ashes symbolize our mortality: "Remember you are dust, and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:19). This season is intended to be a time of reflection and repentance, drawing us into deeper intimacy with the Lord.

Today is also Valentine's Day, a day of candy, flowers, and gifts that actually commemorates the death of Saint Valentine, a martyr who signed a letter to his love, "From your Valentine." While many bemoan the commercialization of Valentine's Day, the focus on love and romance are a welcomed reason for a little celebration.
As Christians, what do we do when Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day collide? Celebrate one and ignore the other? Find a way to combine the two?

In the 1900s, this curious convergence of Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day happened only twice: in 1923 and 1934. In the current century, the overlap will happen three times: in 2018, 2024, and 2029. After that, we won’t see a convergence of the holidays again in the 21st century.

While celebrations and commemorations are unmistakably biblical, how can we look beyond the limitations of one day? We should welcome any opportunity to reflect on our own mortality and draw closer to God's command that we love one another -- and neither needs to be confined to a mere day. The question we should ask ourselves is not which holiday we will choose to celebrate, but how we will embrace both in a new way -- today, tomorrow, and in the weeks to come. 

How will you find time this week to reflect on God's love for you, love that embraces you even in the ashes of your mortality?

Blessings to you on this Ash Wednesday / Valentine's eve,

Jennie