As children, we Christians are programmed to “give up” something for Lent. No questions asked, that’s just what you do. Now, I can’t really complain about faithful Christians following tradition that has been in place for generations. But in this practice I can pinpoint the single greatest problem that plagues the common, impressionable man in all structures of belief:
Blind Faith. The practice of doing what you are told to, simply because you are told to.
“Giving up” chocolate or whatever for Lent just because Father Know-how told you to does not, in any way, take advantage of the intellect and free will with which all humans are blessed. It makes you a hamster running around in one of those big creaking wheels just because the man in the white coat promises cheese.
So what exactly do I accomplish by not drinking soda or not staring at my laptop until Lent is over? On the surface, almost nothing. And for the past year or so, I struggled to come up with some explanation to delve a little deeper. This is the best that I’ve done:
The practice of fasting and abstinence during the season of Lent are not a means of torture undertaken lightly or without purpose. The idea is to identify, in some small way, the suffering that Christ endured throughout His life. Be it the 40 days spent being tempted in the desert or His crucifixion or the ridicule and jeer he was subjected to for the duration of His ministry. The sacrifice is made in the name of Jesus, who gave up himself as the “ultimate sacrifice”.
Now that I’ve gotten my sermon out of the way, I’ll apply it to my own Lenten fasts of soda and computers. I seek to accomplish two things: 1) be brought closer to Jesus by feeling even a billionth of the turmoil He felt in His life, and 2) use that sacrifice as a way to view my own vices in an attempt to change my “evil” ways and better myself throughout the year.
In abstaining from soda, I am saving my body of empty calories and pounds of sugar, at the expense of the crisp, refreshing taste of a cold Coke. Because everyone enjoys a good Coke. And my computer, well, that’s a personal thing. I am an information freak and giving up my computer time is exactly the kind of humility I need to endure for Him. It is a simple exercise in will power and fighting temptation.
I hope my perspectives have in some way made you re-think what Lent is all about. If you were considering making a sacrifice, don’t just follow orders. Make it mean something to you, and no one else but God.
And lastly, I would like to share with you below what Lent means to a modern day person - like me...
If we were knives, Lent would be a time to sharpen our cutting edges.
If we were cars, Lent would be time for an oil change and a tune up.
If we were swimming pools, Lent would be time to filter the dirt out of the water.
If we were gardens, Lent would be time to fertilize our soil and dig out our weeds.
If we were carpets, Lent would be a time to get power-cleaned.
If we were VCRs Lent would be time to clean our head and adjust our tracking.
If were were computers, Lent would be time to overhaul our disk drive.
If we were highways, Lent would be time to repair our cracks and fill our chuckholes.
If we were TV sets, Lent would be time to adjust our focus and fine-tuning.
If we were batteries, Lent would be a time to get recharged.
If we were seeds, Lent would be a time germinate and reach for the sun.
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