When Lent is Forced Upon Us
I could never have guessed what was about to happen in our world as I began my Lent fast this year. As I think of all the ramifications of the global COVID-19 pandemic, I am left speechless. Without warning or choice, we’ve been forced into the season of Lent. As we wrestle with what to do, I suggest that we lean into it.
What is Lent, you ask?
Each year, for the 6 Sundays, or 40 days, before Easter, the Church observes the season of Lent. I think most people are familiar with this concept, even if it’s just the popular idea of giving something up as a fast. It’s a tradition that’s been around for a very long time in the Church, and it’s one that I look forward to every year.
In our Western world of abundance and consumerism, it often feels necessary to take away something from our lives for a time so that we can re-evaluate and put our lives into perspective. But giving up something for Lent goes much deeper than that.
Before Jesus began His public ministry, He was taken into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights to be tested. He fasted for that whole time from food and drink. At the end, He endured the temptations to turn away from God and God’s plan in exchange for instant gratification and glory (You can read that story in Matthew 4:1-11).
But Jesus didn’t fast for a diet or cleansing program. He gave something up in order to take on something else. In this case, He was communing with His heavenly Father. Lent, therefore, is a time for us to willfully give something up (something that’s important to us) for the sake of our spiritual health - to spend time with God through prayer, meditation, or Bible study. It’s also a time when we can take on a new practice of hospitality, friendship, giving, etc.
As someone who has intentionally observed Lent for the last four years, I can attest that it’s been a really positive experience for me in my spiritual walk with God. This year, I decided to give up eating meat again. I love eating meat, and when I don’t do it for 6 weeks, I really notice the difference. However, every single time I eat, I’m reminded of this commitment and my goal of drawing closer to God. It’s a constant push to move closer in my relationship to Him.
Our world has entered a time of panic, fear, self-preservation, self-isolation, and lots and lots of cancellations. For me, it started with professional sports. My jaw dropped as I saw all of the major sports leagues postpone their seasons and the largest sports tournaments cancel all-together. That continued with the closure of schools, community centres, gyms, arenas, libraries, day cares, stores, and of course, churches.
It hit me hard again when the rest of my Monday night ice hockey season was cancelled. Then came the Thursday night floor hockey. Then came the complete closure of all Goodlife gyms. And just like that, all my regular physical activity was on pause.
Each of us have our own stories of how our lives have changed during this time. With that comes a lot of disappointment, anxiety, and fear. Some are concerned about their livelihoods, some about their investments. Others are worried about having enough resources and being able to get out if they need more. Some don’t know what to do with their kids if they still have to work, some aren’t sure how to separate themselves from people. Many are disappointed that they can no longer do their favourite activities and many have had to cancel trips that they’ve been looking forward to for months. Not to mention all the people who are worried about their health.
We could go on and on about how our lives are affected, but in some ways our world has been pushed into the season of Lent. We’ve been forced to give up some of the things we love most for the sake of coming together as a community to protect the most vulnerable in our world.
So how can we walk through this wilderness?
I believe the first thing we need to do is recognize that this journey is hard. We don’t need to downplay it. It’s okay for us to be angry, disappointed, and worried. Of course we need to have perspective and realize that others in the world have it much harder than us, but it’s okay to let it all out as well. The wilderness is dry, hot, and isolating. We don’t have to put on an “All is good, I’m sipping mimosas on a beach in Mexico” face.
Secondly, once we take stock of what our journey looks like, we need to remember that we are not alone. We are called to self-isolate, not to be solitary. Although each of our journeys are unique, we’re all in the same boat and there’s no one who isn’t being affected by what’s going on in our world. One of my friends, Peter Haresnape, reminded me last week that when Jesus was in the wilderness, He had the presence of the wild animals, the ministry of the angels, and the presence of God with Him the whole way. Not only is God with us during our time in the wilderness, but we have our communities and God’s creation as well. If there’s one thing I’m confident of in this time, it’s that we don’t need to carry our burdens alone.
Lastly, we need to ask the question of what we’re replacing all our cancellations with. We’re giving up a lot, which for many of us actually means we’ll have more time on our hands. So what are we going to fill it with? We have an opportunity to allow this time to give us perspective about what’s really important in life. How will we use this time to draw closer to God? How will we use this opportunity to reach out, give, and serve the most vulnerable in our society? In a time when so much is being taken away, I believe much more will be asked of us as Christians and of the Church.
We are now in Lent, whether we like it or not. May God give us grace and peace in this time, and may this journey in the wilderness draw us closer together, closer to God, and give us perspective when it’s time for us to journey on.