大象传媒

From Rae Duke, Religion and Ethics teacher and broadcaster.

One of the great聽things about teaching is that you鈥檙e never short of an opportunity to learn something new.聽

Yesterday I asked a physics colleague; 鈥渁re we聽actually made of stardust?鈥澛�

'It鈥檚聽true鈥� he told me. 鈥淣early all the elements in the human body were made in a star and many have come through several supernovas.鈥澛�

My eyes widened as it鈥檚 so up my street how poetic that line sounds 鈥� as聽Moby聽once sang: 鈥渨e鈥檙e聽all made of stars鈥� 鈥� yet now it was backed-up, praise be,聽by聽factoid credentials Steve Wright would be proud of.聽

I聽tend not to聽give聽much thought to聽things like聽where I聽came from;聽modern life聽can be聽- with its countless choices, jam-packed聽schedules聽and that agenda to live聽our聽鈥榖est life鈥� 鈥� quite frankly, overwhelming enough.

But as your聽phone鈥檚 calendar聽may have聽alerted you to聽this morning, today is聽Ash聽Wednesday, the first day of Lent. (Hopefully聽this is of more help聽than,聽for聽those聽of us聽not in Scotland, having the Scottish聽Bank Holidays flash up. I only聽say this because last summer a group of friends聽and I聽made聽some fun plans聽for one of聽them,聽only to discover that 2ndAugust was to be聽a normal working day for us non-Scots. The聽crucial聽鈥榖rackets-Scotland鈥� had lain just beyond our screen boundaries.聽What a聽come down!)聽

The 鈥楢sh-Wednesday-All-Day鈥� banner though聽provides a聽moment聽to remember our starting point. In churches across the world, the words 鈥渞emember you are dust, and to dust you shall return鈥� are said. As a聽reminder of our mortality, of our being at the mercy of each other... as a little nudge聽to fall in love with life鈥�

A bit聽like when聽watching聽a stunning film,聽when the story really matters, the stakes are high 鈥� it鈥檚 often a matter of life and death.聽

I believe the same is true for us.聽

Ashes may have funereal connotations but they also signify burying the past, moving on and self-discovery; a wake-up call to seek out happiness, be kind and love hard.

To lap up, what the poet Mary Oliver paints as, our 鈥渙ne wild and precious life.鈥澛犅�