Lent: These 40 Days
by: Kelsey Foster
In the church tradition where I grew up, there was never much, if any, emphasis on Lent or the Lenten Season. I knew it was the 40 days leading up to Easter and particularly popular in the Catholic Church, as well as some more liturgical Protestant traditions. I also knew that it was a time where many folks would pick something to abstain from for those 40 days, such as chocolate or social media.
While the practice of abstaining from something for 40 days can absolutely be part of Lent, this period of time goes much deeper than an excuse to diet or take a likely much-needed break from scrolling Instagram. Lent is a time carved out in the church calendar for reflection and repentance. We, as Christians, use this time to prepare our hearts to remember the somber sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross.
These 40 days of Lent are a time to remind us of the deep brokenness both in this world and in our own lives. It is a time designed for us to be mindful of the sin within, to be confessing before God the parts of us that keep us from the deep and transformative relationship with him that we were designed for. The idea behind giving something up is to look at our lives and see what has gotten in the way of that transformative relationship. There is a famous quote by St. Augustine that says, “The essence of sin is disordered love.” God ought to be the greatest love in our lives, far outweighing anything else. Sin comes into the picture when we allow anything else to experience greater love from us than God does. I think if we get really honest, we know that while we may claim with our mouths that he comes first, our lives often tell a different story.
One year I decided to give up TV for Lent. I had gotten to a place where I found myself hitting “next episode” when I needed to be getting something done. I’d numb out on a TV binge after a tough day instead of spending time in prayer or community. TV, in and of itself, is not bad, but for me, those 40 days where I removed the distraction of TV were an opportunity to reorder my life and remind myself of the importance of loving God with my whole heart. I found that I was not actually too busy to spend time in Scripture or outside enjoying creation. My life had just gotten out of order and I realized I was prioritizing the wrong things.
As we are in this Lenten Season, where we consider and lament the sin that lead to Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday, let’s think about the things in our lives that are preventing us from loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, as Jesus instructs in Matthew 22:37. What are some habits that might need tweaking? What things are you holding onto that might be keeping you from living joyfully in the life God has given you? Is there something you know that needs to be put back in its rightful place?
If you are like me, there are a couple of glaring things that need to be knocked down a few pegs in your life (I’m looking at you, iPhone). But maybe nothing is immediately coming to mind. If that is the case, consider praying the words of David in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” However you observe this time on the church calendar, may this season bring you into an orderly, reverent love of God and the Good Friday sacrifice that brought us life.