I鈥檓 going with a bit of a different approach to Lent this year. More and more, I see Lent as a time to focus on giving things up that might be weighing me down.
I know that I have habits and ways of seeing the world and my place in it that aren鈥檛 supportive. Sometimes they can get in the way of things. The image that springs to mind, for me, is the Tinman from the Wizard of Oz. When he meets Dorothy, he can鈥檛 even speak because he鈥檚 stood out in the rain and rusted shut. Only when Dorothy oils his joints is he free to speak and move and join the journey down the Yellow Brick Road.
I see Lent as a time to explore where my spiritual joints have gone rusty. Attending to those and maybe making some changes, or adding new habits, is like applying a spiritual oil can. It loosens things up again so I can be present in my day-to-day life in a new way, and continue on my journey a bit lighter and with a spring in my step.
As Lent approached this year, I got to thinking about some practices I wanted to incorporate and maybe some things I wanted to let go of over the next 40 days. The key here is that I鈥檓 not going to weigh myself down again with different obligations. That鈥檚 something I can easily do. For example, I thought I might get up an extra hour early so I could do the Daily Office and reflect on that day鈥檚 readings. Then I realized I already get up quite early to do the work I do, so that probably would not be supportive. I find I need to be truthful with myself about what will be supportive for me, and not some ideal that won鈥檛 serve me at all.
So, here鈥檚 what I鈥檝e decided on for Lent 2014:
- At some point in the day, I will take some time out for contemplation. I鈥檓 always looking for ways to bring to my daily life. I might read and reflect on that day鈥檚 readings, or I might meditate.
- I鈥檓 going to cut back a bit on my . I won鈥檛 be eliminating it altogether, but I will be a bit more intentional about it.
- I鈥檓 going to blog more regularly at . For me, being creative is a direct line to the Divine.
- I鈥檇 like to be more intentional around the food I consume. So, for Lent, I鈥檓 not going to eat out, unless I鈥檓 sharing a meal with friends. That way it鈥檚 both a giving up and an adding to. I鈥檝e been sick off and on since Christmas, culminating in a rather nasty bout of pneumonia, and I鈥檝e got a bit of cabin fever and a feeling of disconnection from my friends. (Hint to my friends: I am free for dinner in Lent!).
So, there they are, four things I鈥檓 going to attend to during Lent as a way of letting go of what might be weighing me down.
Kevin Aschenbrenner is a Victoria-based writer, poet and communications professional. He holds an M.A. in Culture and Spirituality from the Sophia Center at Holy Names University in Oakland, Calif. He blogs at
You can read more articles from our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking
This article was published in the Times Colonst print edition on March 22nd 2014
