Today is ash wednesday, which is also the fist day of lent. Lent is the period leading up to easter during which many christians fast. Traditionally this ment not eating or not eating meat. Many christians especially catholics won’t eat meat or drink alcohol during lent.
I myself am lutheran and was introduced to the idea of lent and fasting in my church youth group. There we spoke about the idea of giving something up to experience what it is like to have to go without. Also to free up time and resources to put to better use. To spend the time one watches crappy tv shows to be with family or go to church. To give the money one usually spent on sweets or cigaretts to charity. This idea really speaks to me. So the first year I gave up all things sweet; sweets, fizzy drinks, cordial, pastries, crisps and snacks. So I just ate food and water. The next year I added meat and later alcohol (when I started fasting I wasn’t old enough to drink anyway).
Now I’m more keen on the idea of doing something as well as abstaining. I want to use this period to feed myself spiritually as well as living better for myself and others. I want to try a more structured prayer life/schedule and read more books instead of spending so much time being constantly available. I want to try and make more aware choices. I want to use say facebook but when I choose to not just randomly all the time. When it comes to food I will give some stuff up but not some specifically, rather just try to eat better and more healthy food.
Another issue that has affected my choices is that I’m going away for 18 days during the fast and staying with peope and I feel that my fast should be a burden for me not for others so I’ve decided to abstain from certain things only when I’m home but to stick to my other commitments also during my trip.
I hope this post might inspire you to try and experience this period in a new way or inspire new reflections about the idea of lent. Please comment if you have any reflections.
Under ett fikonträd som jesus inte gillade 