The time between “Ash Wednesday” and Easter, a time consisting of forty days (not counting Sundays) is called “Lent.” This is described by Wikipedia as
a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and extends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday.
Another description says that it is “a season of the Christian year when Christians focus on simple living, prayer and fasting in order to grow closer to God.”
Thus people often speak of “giving things up” for Lent. The title of this post comes from a supposed anecdote where a girl told her boyfriend that she was giving him up for Lent.
Those of you who have followed my career, such as it is, will know that I’m not big on tradition, particularly those that have no biblical support. Thus the time of Lent seems paradoxical to me because of the emphasis on giving things up. One can say that there are two kinds of things we do: things that are good and things that are bad. If they are good, why give them up during Lent? Aren’t you doing less good as a result? And if they are bad, aren’t they bad the rest of the year too? And shouldn’t they be abandoned in toto?
The notion of Lent, I believe, comes from a misunderstanding of the nature of Christian spirituality. It’s as if living a spiritual life is not really possible in this world; it can only be done on a kind of momentary basis and then you go back to “real life” (whatever “real” means). Spiritual life is not something that fosters your day-to-day existence. Note also that the practices of hermeticism (that is, living in solitude for spiritual purposes) and monasticism (living in a community cut off from the world for spiritual purposes) also imply that the spiritual life is not robust enough to survive the rough-and-tumble of daily life.
We should be suspicious of this idea since Jesus prayed the following for us as John 17 reports:
I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
Yet the idea that we set aside a part of our lives distinct from “real” life (there’s that word again) seems to imply that Jesus’ prayer went unanswered.
The book of Colossians actually discusses the notion of spirituality wrapped up in the idea of Lent. In Colossians 2:16-23 we read:
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations: “Do not handle,” “Do not taste,” “Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used) — according to human precepts and teachings?
These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Notice the imperative here: Paul commands (haha…) that we not allow people to pass judgment on us regarding the things he mentions. Don’t let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink. Don’t let anyone judge you about whether you follow a liturgical calendar. These are a shadow — vague images — of what Christ gives us in fullness.
Again, Paul commands that we “let no one disqualify [us]” regarding asceticism or their odd practices regarding worship that they got from visions. This paragraph seems especially applicable to the offshoots of Christianity such as Islam and Mormonism. But note that Paul rejects asceticism — the notion that spiritual growth can be achieved by denying yourself things. He contradicts very idea that Lent fosters!
Finally, Paul observes that all the “do not”s have “an appearance of wisdom” but actually are “of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” This is an essential point! All of these pseudo-spiritual practices actually accomplish nothing! They are a waste of effort and will lead you nowhere. Paul even goes further in Galatians 4:10-11, saying
You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
In other words this kind of spirituality can even negate our faith!
What is Christian spirituality? We read the following in Galatians 5:6:
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
So what should we be doing?
The Bible is quite disappointing in this area. It makes things way too simple.
Faith. Love.
These are the two things involved in Christian spirituality: Faith toward God and Love of one another. (One commentator notes that Faith is actually a kind of expression of love.)
Both these are simply affirmations of relationship. Faith is personal trust in a personal God who is there and who cares for us. Love of one another is to identify with and share ourselves with those who are called God’s people. Between these two things, everything else can be found.
Prayer — first and foremost we desire to be with God, to share ourselves with him and to experience his presence. This comes with prayer and with prayerfully reading his word.
Good works — they spring from our desire to further God’s agenda, and our intent to see with his compassionate eyes the plight of the lost.
And we realize that Jesus does not call us out of the world but into it. We go to every nation with the word of salvation, confident that God will guard us from the evil one.
All this is the true expression of true spirituality. So boyfriends everywhere, take heart! She doesn’t have to give you up to be spiritual. — At least I hope not!!!