A few days ago, I was in a supermarket, and it was busy. Where I live, we have people from many places, including immigrants, and country people who are new to our city. I saw the usual mix of humanity, all buying food. I’m used to my interesting neighbors, and I wasn’t surprised by the variety.

What surprised me was two people, a young man and a woman, with something grey smeared on their foreheads. I tried not to stare, and they searched for their groceries as if nothing was unusual.

I have done some research since, and if you don’t know, that day must have been Ash Wednesday, and that couple were probably practicing Roman Catholics.

When they say “Ash” they really mean ashes, from something that burned, and they put those ashes on their foreheads, in the shape of a cross. My neighbors didn’t get the cross pattern, they mostly just daubed and rubbed, but I know what they meant.

But I know now, since I have done some research.

When I was a boy, we had public and Catholic schools, and many friends went to the Catholic school in our neighborhood. We were still friends, even with our differences, and I don’t remember anyone daubing ashes on their forehead. I have many adult friends now, who are Roman Catholics, and none of them ever put ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday.

That day, especially for Roman Catholics, is the beginning of Lent. That first day is six and a half weeks before Easter, and Lent lasts for forty days.

This revived Ash Wednesday practice is interesting, and it shows some changes that are happening in the modern world. Things are changing around us, and it’s good to be informed.

The Super Bowl Commercial

So, did you see the Super Bowl commercial? That advertisement for an app that helps people to pray? That was shown to an audience of about one hundred million, and I’m sure the production costs were huge.

Someone spent millions of dollars, and recruited a famous movie star, to tell us something. The quality of this persuasion campaign is very impressive:

You probably recognized Mark Wahlberg, in the TV commercial.

The Superbowl in 2024 was on Sunday, February 11, Ash Wednesday was on February 14, and Easter will be on March 31. Also, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday. In places like New Orleans, it is like party day before the fasting and other restrictions of Lent.

Did you know?

There is something to learn in this story, whether we are Roman Catholic or not. Mark Wahlberg and his friends know something that we should all know.

If you want business, advertise.

For centuries, most religions grew in numbers as children were born into practicing believers. Choose any religion; Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and any other; children born into believing families may go a different way when they grow up.

If we don’t persuade, we have no future.

About two thousand years ago, a man named Jesus told his followers:

“Go forth into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16: 15 to 16)

In another part of the Bible, we have these words: “A ruler may be won over by patience, and a gentle tongue can break bones.” (Proverbs 25: 15)

Persuasion must happen, or ideas will grow old and fade away.

For this occasion, both Bible quotations are taken from the “New Catholic Bible” and if you don’t like to put “Jesus” and “advertise” in the same sentence, we have words like “proclaim” and “persuasion.”

A sense of pride and superiority is common to all belief systems, including every religion, and historical groups have impressive temples or cathedrals. History is interesting, but it does not give a future. In our modern society, nothing will endure, unless it persuades.

We don’t have a future unless we build it. Jesus told us about that two thousand years ago, and some of his followers need to relearn that lesson. We should all know that we live in a world that is fading into obscurity in history books unless we make the effort to proclaim and persuade. We always have a new generation rising up, and the rest of us getting older.

This is a lesson to relearn, for most of us:

“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.” (2 Corinthians 5: 11 and 12)