Giving things up for Lent
Someone told me this week of a friend of theirs who, last year, gave up screens for Lent. Screens? Yes - the screens that increasingly dominate our lives - TV, computer, laptop, palm pilot, mobile phone, answerphone, gameboy, playstation, etc etc... THis woman decided that only when work or genuine necessity demanded it would she look at a screen. So she gave up watching TV, all computer-related hobbies and leisure, all non-necessary TXTing and phoning. She rediscovered the pleasure of writing with a pencil, reading books with real pages, and using many reclaimed hours walking in the fresh air and talking face-to-face with real live people.
Lent - it's supposed to be good for the body AND the soul. It's supposed to simplify your life for a while, giving you time and money to re-focus. It's not supposed to feed your vanity by taking off a dress size, but to give you the space to rediscover the true value of life, framed by a fresh vision of God. What part of your consumer lifestyle will you give up, for a while, to get your life into a new gear?
Yes. You need something to fill in the gap left by what is missing. And it's an opportunity to fill the gap with something that affirms life.
Better than giving up coffee for Lent and finding at the end of it that your Cola intake as trebled.
Posted by: Stephen | 20/02/2007 at 08:13
I came across this at the Christian Aid Website, which seems something attainable, yet in keeping with giving up something of my comsumer lifestyle ... or at least being aware of how much i have and how little others have.
Christian Aid Lent Resource
Posted by: Rupert | 20/02/2007 at 18:04
Mmn I have a nasty feeling that giving up screens might not be a bad discipline for me, given that the mere thought of it makes my blood run cold. But I think I'm into doing positive things (Love Life,Live Lent after all) so perhaps I can postpone that for another year...
Posted by: Kathryn | 20/02/2007 at 18:18
After all this row about homosexuality, I think I'm giving up Christianity. Not really, but I despair!
Posted by: Tony B | 21/02/2007 at 12:33
I'm a 25 year old male who, for the most part attends church on a weekly basis. The closest consumer lifestyle that I chose to give up was all fast food and soda. I know I'm not the perfect catholic, but I make my efforts. I live a pretty social life and the most challenging thing I could think of giving up was all sexual contact. Hopefully this does not lead to insanity.
Posted by: Some Guy | 26/02/2007 at 18:00