“I close my eyes, only for a moment
And the moment’s gone
All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water
In an endless sea
All we do crumbles to the ground
Though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Now, don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won’t another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
The wind”
Songwriters: Kerry Livgren / Kerry A Livgren Dust in the Wind lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
The 1977 Kansas album, Point of Know Return, includes one of the rock band’s top singles, “Dust In The Wind.” It was based on a scripture in the Bible, Ecclesiastes 1:14: “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (NIV) Lent 2017 began on March 1st and will end on Thursday, April 13th the day before Good Friday. Lent’s not just a somber day of remembrance in the Christian Church but it’s actually the start of the final chapter of the story of Jesus on the earth and of the beginning of mankind’s redemption when He was crucified, died, and then rose from the dead. It’s only one part of the story of Jesus that seems at first glance to be mournful. But if you know the entire story, it’s one of ultimate joy. To those who know nothing about Christianity, it’s viewed as a mystery. Why do Christians put ash crosses on their foreheads and commit to giving something up for 46 days? Here’s what you might like to know about this tradition:
It’s about making space for God in our lives that’s often jammed packed with ourselves. It’s about reminding believers of Jesus Christ that in a culture of me it’s not about me. It’s about Jesus.
It’s a reminder each year as we put the ash cross on our foreheads that it’s not what we do or what we become for God but what He did for us. When we deny ourselves, that creates space for God to bring us joy. God is able to fill us with something He wants to grow in our lives. The God I choose to serve is never about taking but He’s always about giving.
The question is, are we willing to step aside and receive it? To allow God to take control? Or as Kansas sings, “To close our eyes just for a moment” and see “what we refuse to see”. To those outside the faith looking in, it looks like God asks us to give up something and suffer. But in reality, He becomes our joy. When we’re willing to make space for Him something wonderful happens – enlightenment. After 9/11 Dust In The Wind wasn’t a song that radio stations wanted to play. In fact, stations refused to play it because it reminded a grieving country of the reality of our age. The body of Jesus never became dust in the wind, but instead, Jesus was taken by the wind of God to heaven and will return one glorious day. The Bible says as we saw Him go in Acts 1:11, that Jesus will return. Your body may be dust in the wind but your soul has a chance to be eternally alive if you’re willing to believe.
Are you willing to make space in your crowded, disruptive world for God?
BIO: Kathleen Cooke is a founding partner and Vice-President of Cooke Pictures, cookepictures.com and the Influence Lab, influencelab.com. She speaks globally and editors the monthly journal Influence Women, influencelab.com/women and her weekly blog, kathleencooke.com. Follow her on twitter @KathleenRCooke or Instagram and FB: KathleenRCooke
