A few thoughts on Lent - 19 February 2010 |
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In the next few weeks, someone will probably ask you, “What are you giving up for Lent?” I want to offer a couple of thoughts on this subject.
Before we begin, though, I need to stress that what follows is certainly not everything that needs to be said on this subject. The significance of Lent is related to many other issues such as the place of fasting in the Christian life, the significance of the church year, and so on. These are too complicated to discuss here, and nothing that follows should be understood as a definitive statement on these subjects.
You’ll also notice that I’m not even saying whether or not I think we should observe Lent. That’s deliberate. How and why we do what we do is at least as important here as what we do. With that in mind, let me make three comments about observing (or not observing) Lent that some may find helpful.
First, the way that the above question is phrased (What are you giving up) gets us off on precisely the wrong foot. It focuses on abstinence rather than activity, and on us rather than Christ. If you’re going to “do something” for Lent, make sure the focus is not on self-deprivation or inactivity. Instead, focus on devoting yourself positively on someting spiritually beneficial (30 minutes a day reading your Bible or some other Christian book, a few minutes praying or reading through the Psalms, or whatever). Pursue abstinence or self-deprivation only if it helps you pursue these positive goals: missing a meal or getting up a bit earlier, for example, so that you have more time to read or pray.
Second, remember that Sunday is still Resurrection Day, even during the period of Lent. Strictly speaking, of course, the Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter aren’t part of Lent at all. Do the sums: Ash Wednesday (17 Feb) to Holy Saturday (3 April) is 46 days; take away the 6 Sundays and you’re left with the 40 days of Lent. Sunday is still a day of celebration, so let’s keep it that way. Don’t let Lent leak into Sundays.
Finally, don’t judge others who do things different from you. Of course it’s possible to observe Lent in a spirit of more-pious-than-thou self-righteousness. It’s also possible that not observing Lent may reflect an attitude of indifference and laziness. I’m not sure which is worse, and, thankfully, these are not the only options. But we all need to beware of assuming that we know why people are doing things differently from ourselves. Paul’s comments in Romans 14:3, though not written with Lent in mind, are certainly relevant here: “Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.”
Posted by Steve Jeffery · Topics: Minister's Blog