Lent Outed: What More to Give Up?

Lent – A Hard Pill to Swallow

Ash Wednesday signals the beginning of Lent and for many mainstream Christians launches a six-week period of spiritual and physical discipline that ends on Easter Sunday (for more on Ash Wednesday see the link at the end of this post). Lenten observers mark the period by increasing intentional practices of prayer, fasting and reflection. Often heard during this time is: “What did you give up for Lent?”  

Self-denial is a way of removing superfluous influences that may weigh heavily physically, mentally and spiritually. It’s like packing lightly for a long hike to assure you move easily and without encumbrances. A lighter load distracts less and frees attention to notice details of the journey.

But with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions distilling daily choices to a bare minimum, further Lenten abstinence may be a hard pill to swallow. What more is there to give up?

Fibre for Lent

A dietician-nutritionist once suggested that managing weight and healthy cholesterol was more about adding food choices than taking away food choices. Interesting, she had my attention. That’s not to say she didn’t advocate for less and leaner meats, but she further suggested adding foods high in fibre as benefiting heart health. Fibre helps to push through and eliminate unhealthy cholesterol.

I wonder if a similar principle could apply for this COVID-19 Lenten period. What if common spiritual practices or disciplines of denying-of-self got reversed to spiritual practices of giving-of-self? Where we add instead of take away. Adding fibre to our spiritual practices might very well invigorate our relationship with God and Jesus. How would that look?

The Look of Lent

During COVID-19 lockdowns and obligatory home hibernation, we have had plenty of time for self-reflection. The journey within must now turn. out.

My not so recently graduated daughter is still looking for work. A tough hill to climb for most, but particularly arduous during Pandemic times. Young people with limited work experience, fewer job openings, and virtual interviews struggle. Impressively, when wrestling with feelings of rejection from yet another unprogressive interview, my daughter chose not to internalize the disappointment, but took that bundle of embarrassment and re-packaged it. She did what she is good at and wrote on her experience to encourage others not to bury painful feelings. She counseled, instead, to connect and communicate with trusted others when experiencing hard times (read her article here: Life Isn’t Always a Success Story).

Inspired by my daughter’s words, I opened my computer, focused, and drew out from within words to plot this blog post.  

Lent Outed

Pondering ideas on outward focused Lenten practices, I thought on what I would appreciate if I were the target of such an intent. Recalling my last on-line Zoom meeting, I chuckled. Working at home all by myself, boy, how I missed seeing people’s beautiful faces. I felt robbed when they chose not to turn on their video cameras during a Zoom meeting.

I am sympathetic to people’s reasons for cloistering their faces with a dark screen. Busy with work and other duties, no one wants peers and colleagues peering into an untidy room in desperate need of spit and polish, or worse, the forgotten hair shampoo in the morning shower.

I heard someone explain that a computer screen of Zoom faces makes her head spin. The many busy backgrounds overwhelm. Also, staying still and attentive for long periods becomes difficult. Fidgeting in your seat becomes far more noticeable to everyone when captured in a small square on a computer screen. Turning off the camera means you can move around without distracting the other attendees.

But I still miss the connection that comes with seeing a face peek outward from their camera shyness allowing a ray of their inward beauty to shine. I hope more people might consider taking video camera breaks when needed, and not hiding for a full meeting, at least during Lent.

***

Instead of abstinence, what “fibre” would you consider adding to your spiritual practice during Lent?

For more on Ash Wednesday click on this link: The Ashes of our Lives.