3-2-20<\/p>\n
Despite being shrouded in religious symbolism and tradition, Lent also is a part of Christianity that largely has no Biblical sanction nor institution. That is to say, the holidays and succession of observances were not established by Jesus, the Disciples, St Paul, nor the churches of the early evangelists.<\/p>\n
In fact, there are myriad definitions of Lent, numbers of days of Lent, whether Sundays are counted or not, what constitutes holy fasts, what meats can be eaten, what colors of church vestments and displays should be assigned, what parts of the liturgy should be sung or suppressed, even when Lent ends. As many definitions as there are Catholic and Protestant and Orthodox traditions\u2026 and of course different views within Protestantism and Orthodox churches. Denominations like the Mennonite church, for instance, traditionally did not observe Lent at all.<\/p>\n
Is the observance of Lent a corruption of Christian teaching? No! It is not even obliquely related to anything pagan, as can be deduced from Christmas, Easter, and other holidays. And Lenten practices are informed by the suffering and death of Jesus; the Passion; the meanings behind the largest aspects of Easter (the atonement) to the smallest (reminders of the significance of every \u201cstation\u201d of the cross that Jesus carried to Golgotha).<\/p>\n
If Lent is not a corruption of the holy aspects of the period preceding Jesus\u2019 entry to Jerusalem and the horrible events of Holy Week, certain observances of Lent can be corrupt. When people \u201cgive up\u201d broccoli, or even chocolate \u2013 perhaps things they already hate, or things they might indeed love; you have heard them all \u2013 it trivializes the acts of the Savior.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can self-sacrifice, or discipline, be bad?\u201d we are asked. \u201cAnd if we lose weight, or spend time in better ways than going to the movies…\u201d is a sentence that does not need to be finished. Dieting, better use of your free time, less video-gaming, can all be done any time (or all times) during the year.<\/p>\n
Jesus Christ did not suffer and die for your chocolates or your video games.<\/p>\n
I am going to suggest something in place of sacrificing something for Lent. Since the precise details of Lenten observances are not in the Bible, I might feel secure to propose a different way to recall, even \u201cimitate\u201d (in the view of Thomas \u00e0 Kempis) Christ\u2019s Passion.<\/p>\n
Instead of giving something up<\/em> for Lent, can we take something up<\/em> for Lent?<\/p>\n Jesus sacrificed His life, but He also gave<\/em> us something very real: salvation. He renounced earthly pleasures, but He also gave<\/em> us a supreme picture of service. He endured rejection, betrayal, and torture \u2013 which can remind us of how much He loved us, even while we were yet sinners \u2013 yet are we only to dwell on these things\u2026 or be inspired to lives of fellowship, reconciliation, and love?<\/p>\n He died\u2026 that we may live.<\/p>\n Should we think of taking up<\/em> things \u2013 not only the cross, which after all we are commanded to do \u2013 and not merely sacrificing this or that for 40 days?<\/p>\n In the spirit of the Lenten season, and Christ\u2019s Passion of which we are mindful, forget the chocolates and video games, and take up<\/em> something.<\/p>\n These might be word games, of course: To take up something might be seen as a sacrifice; fine. And, as with New Years resolutions, or Lenten sacrifices, we can also \u201ctake up\u201d something all the year \u2018round. Also fine! In a sense, the life of faith is to see things, and act, in upside-down manners sometime. We need new perspectives. Do we really belong in a life of the world\u2019s old ways of seeing and doing? We should yearn for a place where dead men live, and rich men give.<\/p>\n Take up charity work. And do it as privately as possible. Share something about Jesus to someone. Especially if you are uncomfortable doing so. Think of someone you have resented, and write a note saying you forgive them. And then\u2026 forgive them.<\/p>\n Take up something, not because it\u2019s traditional when the calendar says so. Take up something out of passion \u2013 your passion \u2013 and not automatically.<\/p>\n TAKE UP something for Lent. For Christ\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n + + +<\/p>\n