Day 4: Ambassadors of God's Mercy

Today was a difficult one for me.  I set the bar high for myself, and, naturally, I did not attain what I had hoped to attain.

Can I remember that God permits this to keep me humble?  This, too, is part of the fast: to remind us of the fragility of our bodies, of our bodies' dependence on the gifts of God to sustain them.  And what is true of the body is likewise true of the soul.  We deprive ourselves of what we need so that we will not take for granted the God who gives us what we need.  Thus, again, we must remember that what we sacrifice what is good.  We give it up not because it is bad or evil, but precisely because it is good, and we must remember what life would be like without God's giving these good things to us in His mercy and love.  The fast means nothing without the feast; the feast means nothing without the fast.

The ashes on my forehead today made me feel the need to be better, to be a better witness to Christ, a better "ambassador" for Him.  I was ashamed when my behavior fell short and I saw that others could see the ashes on my forehead, marking me as one of God's people.  But the ashes mark me as a sinner, not a saint.  God's people, comprised of sinners who must always learn to repent.  I should be ashamed of the ashes, for they are a sign of guilt - of my constant need to return to God, to turn back to Him with all my heart.  

This too is our witness: to show the world what it looks like to sin and fail, but also what it looks like to repent of sin and strive for reconciliation with God.  We don't do the world any favors by hiding our sin.  If we wish the world to turn to God, we must acknowledge to it that we, like they, are sinners - the only difference is that we have hope in God's gracious and compassionate mercy.  In revealing our shame, we reveal God's greatness.

We are ambassadors for Christ when we acknowledge our sin.  The act of repentance, of contrition, is an act of evangelization.  For Christians to confess and apologize for their sins can be the first step in bringing others to Christ.