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It is a common trait for men of the flesh to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think especially considering man’s exploits as highlighted above coupled with his dominion and control over the rest of the created world.

It is easy for us men and women to be carried away by our physical, social, educational, scientific, technological or even religious prowess and lose sight of who really we are.

So a closer look at the afore cited technological advances of man reveals the limitedness of man’s ability, knowledge and wisdom.

Each of these exploits of man comes with great unintended consequence that turn around to point to man’s frailty even in knowledge.

https://www.walkingbyfaith.com.ng/wp-content/uploa Let’s take a look at the invention of optical lenses from where we have developed photography and film making.

Today the world is tormented by the negative use of the invention in producing pornographic and other unethical and ungodly films and pictures. But man can do nothing about it.

How about the invention of papers which involves cutting down of trees. Today we are suffering the advert effect of deforestation, struggling to find solutions that come with even more consequences.

So also is the problem of air pollution resulting from the use of the engine invented by man. Air transportation has been adjusted to be the safest and fastest.

But we all can testify to the destruction and loss always associated to its mishaps to which man has no control or solution.

The unintended consequences of the use of computers and chips are so on the neck of man, that some are beginning to think that their uses may lead to the end of mankind.

Also read this….

“The Death Of The Righteous”

“CHARACTERISTICS OF A WORTHY WOMAN”

What clear pointers that man’s knowledge and abilities are limited; that his life is fragile. That he is in control of nothing. That man is nothing but dust.

Accordingly , men who glory in the vanities of this life rejoice in their exalted status before other men. Like the Pharisees of old, craving the affection and admiration of others (John 12:43), they do and say those

things that bring them into the popularity of the masses, rather than what is testified to be right and acceptable before the creator of all flesh.

So it is that man raise themselves to great prominence, receiving the honour and admiration of those whom they have sought to please- yet forgetting their humble origins.

When the physical or emotional pains of life come, then you will, with no doubt ascertain the weakness and fragility of man for no matter what a man’s pedigree may be,

whether he be born into a rich or poor family, all men have a common humble origin response to pain. Their strength and ego vanish like the dust.

WE ARE BUT DUST – THE CORONA LESSON
Between December 9th 2019 and January 7th 2020 . A news broke out of a sort of outbreak in china responsible for some deaths.

And everyone in America was wondering what china was doing in allowing such and not able to control whatever it is. About two

weeks after , America was in total lock down and so was almost all the nations of the world. The rest is a story most of us can tell better than I could.

Whatever your take of the pandemic is, the truth is that the world has been unable to save the life of over one million people from a medical condition that continuous to defy

every known effort and advancement of man. In declaration of man’s surrender to the pandemic, every nation and people of the world, irrespective of faith, status, persuasion or conviction, have accepted a

“new normal”. With over two hundred and fifty thousand people dead across Europe and over two hundred thousand from America alone, one thing is clear – The

lesson that man with all his medical and technological advancement is grossly incapable of finding solutions to his problems, even the ones he created for himself; that man’s life if fragile; that man is nothing but dust.

“YOU ARE DUST …………” Those who recognize the reality of the situation may well also ponder their relationship towards their maker. He is Almighty creator, yet they

are mere animated bits of clay, for the most part, unable to look beyond their own limited sphere of existence, to the ultimate outworking of tye creator’s purpose. The

fact of man’s lowly material composition ought itself to be reason of great humility before God hence Abraham, in taking it upon himself to plead for the sparing of Sodom for the sake of a few men of integrity spake:

“Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: peradventure there shall lack five or fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five?” (Gen 18:27).

Sometimes we feel like pioneers exploring virgin territory only to discover the footprints of those who have travelled the way before us.

That we are dust is a reminder that our lives are fragile, and that the lives and hearts of those around us are as well. So we must tread lightly and walk joyously, Spreading love for hate, peace for rancor, and healing

for a world which is all too wounded. That we are dust is a reminder that in our material existence there is a limitedness, a boundedness which leave the reality of who we are all too often far from the people that

we wish to be, and that we are, ourselves, all too often far too vulnerable before the lesser angels of our nature and left needing the help of our friends, family, and indeed our God to press forward.

There are many things in life over which we have no control, things we cannot change, no matter how hard we may wish to change them. We are but dust.

Reminding us of just this simple yet profound and to patience, peace, and a humility within ourselves which can reconcile who we are in reality with whom we ideally wish to be. 

To Dust You Will Return

As we have seen and noted clearly, man’s origin from dust speaks of his humble beginning and his fragile existence. Man cannot boast of any intrinsic worth; his value does not reside in the material composition of his body.

And because of his dust-nature, he has no real strength nor inner components that guarantee his continued existence – man is dust. Job speaks to God: “Remember, I pray, that you have made me like clay. And will you turn me into dust again?” (Job 10:9-11).

Sober men, who are not intoxicated with the flesh-elevating doctrines of humanism, will consider their own natural state. Not

forgetting where they have come from,they look to were they are to return:back to whence they were formed.

And at this level- the material, physical level-men have no natural pre-eminence over animals. Both are formed from dust, and both will return to dust when the natural courses of events are worked out with the cessation of life.

This fact is truly a sobering one- though he may ascend to great heights in the estimation of his fellows, and though he may be rewarded greatly in the things of this

life, the end of all men is identical to that of mere, brute beasts. “…. All go unto one place.” There, the rich and the poor meet

together in a common destiny; “the small and great are there”, lying together in an undignified state of decomposition as they moulder into dust.

That unto dust we will return, though, is the challenge. In a world in which man seems to be or thinks he is in control; At a time when men are expanding the territory of their power, influence and affluence.

A season when the wealthy gets wealthier even at the expence of the poor, lowly and weak. When those in power seek avenues to never give up power.

A time when the governance of a people is becoming a one hard to wipe the other away from the face of the earth. In a time like this we are faced with the real deal; the bitter truth- we must return to dust.

Now is the time to cast off the darkness of our own hearts, as it leaves the world literally for the warmth and joy of eternity.

Now is the time to rid ourselves of the chains, addictions, and habits which hold us bound. Now is the time to repair those wounded friendships, and to remember once again the joy that we had in them.

The time is now because we are returning to dust, and there is no other time.
This is a call that goes to people of all faiths and of no faith. This is a human call, it

speaks not simply to Christians beliefs, but to all of humanity which understands that life is far too short, our time to love far to brief, our joy always far too limited. Now is the time, there is no other moment. There’s time and season for everything. What’s gonna be gonna be.

There’s nothing we can do about it. This true fact of the frailty and the transitoriness of human life is clearer illustrated in the events of ASH WEDNESDAY.

The beginning of lent reminds us that this world is passing and that we should put our trust instead in the eternal, in the Lord.

The season of lent is set aside for us to reorient ourselves, to gain the proper perspective on things and put our priorities in older. We take off our old self so we might be properly prepared for the Pascha Mystery.
The ashes typically are imposed with the words, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return,” while the sign of the cross is marked on the forehead.

This speaks to us of both humility and exaltation, of death and new life. The ashes signify our inner fragility and poverty, and the cross our salvation in the mercy of God.

It dramatizes Paul’s remark in 1 Corinthians that “since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” The rites points in two

directions, one corresponding to “As in Adam all die” and the other corresponding to “in Christ shall all be made alive.”

The most important thing, the only permanent reality, is God. Rather than storing up earthly treasures, we should seek first his everlasting kingdom (luke12:16-34).

All this is parts of our preparation for heaven. The things of the temporal order are necessarily temporary and will be for naught. But if we recognize our humility and

empty ourselves, putting the Lord before all else, we receive infinitely more than we fear we might lose. It is this salvific perspective that the words of Genesis are repeated in the Ash Wednesday liturgy, inviting us to an

awareness of our mortal sate and our need for repentance. By his Cross and Resurrection, though we be only dust and ashes, we will made a new creation. So, in the Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday,

Jesus reminds us that all that we have here has been created from ‘dust’. He reminds us that we should instead be placing our heart on the eternal and spiritual things that last forever in heaven:

‘Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust and moth consume, and where thieve break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven:

where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heat also.’ Matt. 6:20-21.

And precisely what is that which will not return to dust and of which we should be working on in Lent? It is our soul. So on Ash

Wednesday we are taken back to the beginning so that we might go forward to redemption. We are invited to see ourselves as dust again, to detach ourselves from the things of this world and empty ourselves so that we might be filled instead with God’s “breath of life,”that is with his eternal Spirit.

Shalom…