It is written: ‘Man shall not live on
bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the
mouth of God.’
~ Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
The concept
of Lent runs contrary to our mainstream North American culture. We live in a
society that prides itself on having plenty, and we’re driven by an insatiable need
for immediate self-gratification. We constantly run to and fro, pride ourselves
on always being busy, and our lives are full of stress.
However, Lent
should mean much more to us than just another ritualistic event in the
liturgical calendar that we must dutifully observe. It is meant to be a solemn
season of reflection, prayer, penance, self-denial, and spiritual preparation
for Easter. We are to deprive ourselves of something we hold dear in
recognition of the ultimate sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross—His life
for ours. We are also to share in the suffering and self-sacrifice He endured
during those long 40 days spent in the desert depriving Himself of any form of
sustenance (Luke 4:2, Matthew 4:2). That is the origin of the Lenten tradition of
commemorating our Lord’s suffering and sacrifice with a forty day period of fasting.
We get
several perspectives on this practice of fasting from the Bible. It can be practiced
for a variety of reasons, but it’s usually interpreted as a complete abstinence
from food from morning until evening as a means of seeking the Lord through
reflection and prayer (Daniel 9:3). Fasting is observed on the Day of Atonement
as an expression of sorrow and repentance for sin (Leviticus 16:29-30). Fasting
and prayers are also used to petition for God’s intervention. David’s fasting
and prayers were a plea for God to spare the life of his child (2 Samuel
12:15-17.22).
I must admit
that I don’t always observe the season of Lent. Not having grown up observing
this religious tradition, it often passes by without my giving it the
consideration it deserves. It will be half over before I overhear it discussed
in other’s conversations or someone asks me that inevitable question, “What are
you giving up for Lent?” Then rather embarrassed about my laxity, I’ll commit,
rather late in the season, to deprive myself of something that I would normally
enjoy indulging in.
I don’t pretend
to have the willpower to fast completely for 40 straight days like our Lord
Jesus. However, I have often committed to fasting for one or two days a week
during Lent, allowing myself only the conventional small evening meal—meatless
if it happens to be a Friday. Although for several years now I’ve been mainly a
vegetarian, so perhaps I shouldn’t really count the latter as a sacrifice. Although
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are supposed to be full fast days, I confess they
are not always ones I’ve managed to strictly observe. Nevertheless, fasting does
seem to have become my usual form of sacrifice for Lent.
One other
Lenten sacrifice I’ve occasionally observed is giving up all fast food for the
duration. I attempted that one last year but lost the battle mid-April during a
visit to A&W with the grandchildren. Sweets and deserts are another indulgence
that I’ve managed to successfully sacrifice—with the exception of chocolate. I
have also considered sacrificing my morning coffee for Lent, but have so far
failed miserably to develop the degree of self-control that requires. I suppose
if I tried a little harder, I could come up with more cravings or desires that
I might forgo to remind myself to focus more on prayer and spiritual matters during
this period of penitential preparation for Easter.
Recently, I
read about someone choosing to give up all forms of social media for the duration
of Lent. I thought that sounded like a great idea at first, until I realized
that I don’t actually engage often with social media. So, I guess I couldn’t
really count that as a meaningful sacrifice. As Bob Jones mentioned in his
blog, I’ve also considered giving up TV watching for Lent. But I haven’t yet mustered
up the fortitude required to give up my favourites—the movie channels and various
news programs on CNN, CBC, CTV, BBC, CNBC . . . umm, better make that my addictions!
But perhaps
the best suggestion I’ve read for observing Lent is to put the focus on others rather
than on ourselves. This form of “fasting” would involve sacrificing our time
and talents to undertake such things as working towards remediating the
injustices of hunger and homelessness, offering help and healing to those in
need, donating clothing to a thrift shop, or making amends for any wrongs or
sins we’ve committed.
Whatever form
of fasting we choose to observe for Lent, Jesus reminds us that our fasting is
not to be a viewed as a prideful exercise of show and tell (Matthew 6:16-18).
Rather it is a time for us to pray, to ponder our sins, and to turn to God in genuine
repentance.
What form of
fasting will you practice this Lenten season?
