Lenten Journal: It Would Serve Me Well by Eric Gaston

I approach Lent from a background in which Lent was not practiced, encouraged, or really even talked about. It’s not that I was taught that Lent was something weird or bad, it just wasn’t a part of the typical Oklahoma Southern Baptist Church’s teaching.

I learned about Lent from one of my best friends who attended the small Catholic parish across town. He explained all about fish and fasting, about focusing and following the rules. Honestly, I always thought that some of the things that people I knew chose to fast from were kind of silly.

Gum? I thought to myself. How silly.

I got an earful from my buddy when I voiced this opinion to him, being reminded that I was in no place to judge someone else’s fasting.

This is when I really learned about Lent. He explained to me quite passionately that as long as the fast resulted in causing one to think about the events of Easter, it didn’t matter from what one was fasting as long as it was a serious endeavor.

I would like to say at this point that I became a devout, passionate observer of Lent.

I didn’t.

I have observed Lent a few times, without much dedication.

My cynical side reminds me that Lent is not a biblical observance (despite loose ties to various feasts and whatnot) and that its origins are rooted in neo-Pagan rituals.

But the more I think about Lent, the more I wonder why I haven’t been practicing it all these years. While I see Lent as primarily a Catholic ritual, it would be silly of me not to try something that is designed to nudge me toward being intentional about reflecting on the gruesome sacrifice and glorious rising of Christ from the grave.

Why would I not want to spend EVERY day, much less 40 days, intentionally reflecting on the greatest gift ever given.

To my shame, I am prone to lose sight of what’s really important in life. I often enjoy debating more than worshiping. I sometimes relish bitterness and oppose forgiveness because of my misguided sense of self-anchored justice.

I forget sometimes, sadly, that the God who embodies and defines what is righteous and just staged the biggest jailbreak that the universe will ever know in order to rescue me from a death sentence I most assuredly deserve.

It would serve me well to be intentional about remembering that I did not and never could deserve one ounce of forgiveness from God, but that Christ set aside his place in heaven to come to earth to be executed in my place.

How dare I ever treat anyone as if they need Christ while acting like I never did...that somehow I need Jesus less that someone else. How dare I? I do it every day.

I would be in far better place if instead of doing that every day, I reflected on Jesus every day.

I could start with 40 days. 

I could observe Lent. 

I could observe Lent as a ritual without any connection to my heart. 

Or, because I need the reminder that my forgiveness was absolutely and totally undeserved. A reminder that Jesus loved me enough to come down and rescue me from hopelessness. 

And whether I fast from gum or food or TV or sleeping in a bed, as long as points me to this reminder - this reminder of the greatness of Jesus - then Lent is something that we all should learn to practice.