The Party is Over; Bring on the Ashes

Today is Ash Wednesday, and it could not have come at a better time.

Of course, Ash Wednesday occurs every year, but until recently, most of us were not much interested in self-reflection, self-denial, and repentance for our trespasses against both God and others.

In a teleological sense ("teleology" being a 50-cent philosophical word for "end purpose"), we are all headed to the ash pit. It is the common denominator of human existence: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," are the words one usually hears during worship services as ashes are imposed on one's forehead. It is a solemn reminder of our common origins, our common humanity, and our common mortal destiny.

I understand why some people do not like days like Ash Wednesday, where fasting, self-reflection, and repentance is expected. No one wants to go hungry, or confront the private ugliness we've conveniently overlooked, or to turn our back to the things that give us temporary pleasure at the expense of our eternal destiny.

Whomever it was who scheduled President Barack Obama's televised address to the United States Congress on Mardi Gras - the last day of Carnivale -- is a communications genius. With growing numbers of American homeowners at risk of foreclosure, a banking sector with foundering confidence, and state and local governments on the brink of insolvency, it is clear that the "good times" of easy credit, opaque banking operations, and "best case only" government financial calculations have rolled to a stop.

We will yet again find the path to prosperity. Just as the "party" did not last forever, neither shall our time in the difficult task of getting out of the hole we've created for ourselves.

But, today, we are in a fix: Socially and spiritually; metaphorically and literally. In each sphere, the solution is the same: Self-denial, self-reflection, and repentance. So, for the sake of our temporal and eternal salvation: Bring on the ashes.