What about Lent?

I never thought much about Lent before we moved to Germany in 1989. To me, it was something the Catholics did and always seemed a little suspicious. After all, I didn’t want to get into a righteousness by works – sola fide and obligatory fasting didn’t seem all that compatible to me.

But in Germany, the practice of giving up something for Lent is more widely practiced among non-Catholics than it is in the States. Many of our Pentecostal friends made it a regular part of their spiritual tradition. I began to recognize the value of deliberately setting something aside in order to focus more intently on the work of Jesus on the cross for my sake.

Admittedly, the Lenten fast does have its dark side. Carnival is celebrated with vim and vigor in the Catholic regions of Germany… and it’s about more than floats and parades. The common understanding among many church goers is that Fat Tuesday is a day to let your demons have free reign before you enter into the fasting time on Ash Wednesday. The masks that are worn become excuses for all sorts of revelry. The partiers basically pretend to lose their identity and one night of craziness is winked at by the church – they’ll have plenty of time to go to confession once Lent comes.

It’s fascinating to me how often Satan manages to twist something that has so much potential for good. I’m not arguing that the Lenten fast is a biblically ordained practice, but it certainly is biblical to give up something for the sake of training in righteousness. Why is it that our minds get sucked into the deception that says, “If I’m going to give something up, then I’ve got to really indulge in order to make up for it!” That lie of the enemy is one of the most prevalent and most effective ploys in his arsenal.

It belies the truth that giving something up is actually the pathway to joy – “whoever loses his life, for my sake, will find it.” It’s in the finding that the joy comes, but it doesn’t come without the losing.

This year I’m giving up television for Lent. It’s not the first time for me to do this – and it will actually be easier for me this year than it was before; the kids aren’t around, so the TV is not on all that much. Nevertheless, I’ve been recognizing lately just how easy it is for me to turn to TV as a quick fix for boredom or restlessness. It’s easy; it’s always there; it doesn’t require much from me.

Actually, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that it’s requiring more from me than I’d like to admit. It’s like a silent vacuum, stealthily sucking my brain of its vigor and creativity and energy. Now that I’m writing about it, TV is sounding worse by the minute.

So bravo for Lent! Bravo for deliberately setting aside distractions. And more than all that, bravo for Jesus Christ, who gave up more than I will ever be able to imagine in order that I might find life.