Internet is more off than on currently due to the winter conditions in Texas causing major infrastructure disruptions.
That has motivated this post during a “Quick get online while the internet is running” post — EDIT – From the start of typing this out to attempting to post, the internet went down again. This may, or may not, go up on Ash Wednesday.
Rather than Ashes this year, we in Texas have icicles.
They are common elsewhere but unheard of here and the state as a whole has not been able to adapt to the sudden “arctic blast” (words I hope to never hear again during my life time).
People are without power
People are without water
People are without food
People are without internet (pretty low on the list except we have learned it controls almost everything in life these days)
On Ash Wednesday we are supposed to enter Lent, receive the ashes marking our various Lenten fasts (all of those luxuries like chocolate, booze, coffee, etc), and then go on about our business with one or two minor inconveniences intentionally observed and chosen for the fast.
Instead, we have all learned of the many luxuries we enjoy everyday that we fail to realize are luxuries. Luxuries that a vast number in the world do not have everyday.
This Ash Wednesday, we are given the chance to go without what we actually need in life and see what being deprived is really like.
The weatherman says it should be over on Friday or Saturday. We will all go back to normal. But will we? Or, will some of us – at least a few of us – remember our icicle ashes?
Thank you Fr Rob Goebel for the Ash Wednesday artwork.
Blessings,
Fr Steve
the Rev’d Dr Steven G Rindahl
Founder and Director
Warriors on the Way