Date: March 5, 2025
Ash Wednesday is one of those occasions when we make two trips to the altar. One to receive the ashes; the other to receive the sacrament. It is a solemn day as we start our season recognizing the hard work of repentance and invite God to work on our lives in this season.
2025 is a difficult time for the country and the world. There are deep divisions; certain parts of the world are facing the catastrophe of war and deprivation; prejudice abounds; and significant populations of people are genuinely afraid of what will happen next. As we enter this season of Lent, we are acutely aware that we are all fallen and, in many ways, broken. We seek the grace and forgiveness of God.
Yet this is but a season. We are reminded that Lent culminates in redemption. Holy Week leads to Easter. But it is a necessary season for us to walk through. We need to give God the space to work on our lives.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary