The Discipline of Lent

This week, on Ash Wednesday, we begin the discipline of Lent. Ash Wednesday is Lent's threshold, marking the fading of Epiphany's light into a wintry darkness that eventually becomes Spring. The word LENT comes from the Old English word for SPRING and has to do with the fast that leads up to the great feast of Easter. Fasting was one of the many disciplines that the early Christians adopted from Judaism.

In today's world, however, the idea of fasting and doing penance can seem a bit out of place. After all, we live in a society where consumerism is rampant and where any kind of abstinence looks freakish. There almost seems to be something 'wrong' with the idea of denying ourselves anything. If we want something we should just have it, seems to be the prevailing attitude. And there are temptations around every corner with which to indulge ourselves.

Yet, it is in just such a context that LENT draws its strength. Lent performs a number of useful functions. It forces us to confront our own mortality - the fact that we won't live forever, that we will all die. Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are dust and to dust we will return. It also invites us to take time out from the hustle and bustle of life, to set aside our obsession with our physical wellbeing and nurture our spiritual wellbeing. And it challenges us to focus on others, to live up to our responsibilities to those closest to us: partners, parents, children, etc.

It also begins the preparation for the great feast of Easter. The death and resurrection of Jesus more than any other single event altered the course of human history. The power of the Risen Christ remains a force for good in our complicated and violent world today. All too often we are told that our world is Godless. It isn't. God's presence may be obscured by our own actions and the actions of others, but it is always there.

Lent is an opportunity to clear the path to God, beginning with ourselves. A sort of spring-cleaning, if you like. It provides us with the opportunity to look closely at our lives and ask some important questions. Questions like: what sort of person am I; what are my views and values in life; what do I really believe in; how do I relate to others, including those closest to me? In short, how am I coping with life and all its problems?

So Lent is a time for asking questions and coming up with answers and solutions to problems. Traditionally, it is also a time for giving up something - anything from chocolate to drink. But maybe we should think of doing something positive rather than negative - like making more time for prayer and reflection in the course of the day or week. There is so much we can learn about ourselves during this season.

Anyway, whatever you do and however you journey through the season, have a good Lent.