If you’re a practicing Roman Catholic, or a conservative, observant Protestant Christian, you’re likely just entering your third week of the Lenten season – a designated time of fasting, reverence, and reflection in the Christian tradition.
I use the term “tradition” quite deliberately because nowhere is the term “Lent” found in the Bible as instructions for us to follow. But neither is the word, “trinity” found in Scripture, yet most Christians readily accept the union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Lent as a Christian tradition has become a time of sacrificing something (generally something eaten) in anticipation of the coming days of Passover (Easter), and as a means of personally identifying with the 40 days of fasting Jesus practiced. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday in most traditions with the imposition of ashes on the forehead to symbolize a recognition of humankind’s mortality: “Dust you are to dust you shall return,” is generally the admonition clergy offers with the putting on of the ashes.
While recognizing our mortality, we at the same time recognize the immortality we have in our Savior Jesus Christ. This symbolism is solid, foundational Christian doctrine, but Lent as an idea is not Biblically based.
Started as a Christian practice nearly 400 years after the Coming of Christ, the season of Lent has “lent” itself to some practices that are beyond the pale of the Biblical ethic. First of all, Jesus didn’t practice Lent; He fasted often, but nowhere will you find that Jesus referred to His fasting as a Lenten season. It is only a tradition that has developed in the denominational church.
The very word “Lent,” itself lacks Biblical relevance. In Old English, the word “lent” meant “springtime.” It also is the root for the English word, “lengthen,” which is what happens to the daylight hours in the springtime. The season has come to be called Lent because Ash Wednesday was the first day of the year where the daylight hours start getting longer rather than shorter – a lengthening. Eventually, as the season progresses, daylight hours will become a lot longer than the night hours, but this process began happening on the very day we call Ash Wednesday.
According to tradition, one observing Lent need only sacrifice during the weekday hours. Tradition allows that Lenten weekends are exempt. This is why technically, as a church tradition, Lent is a 46-day period and not just the 40 days that Jesus observed. Christ, however, didn’t take off from fasting on weekends.
Another perverse byproduct of the Lenten practice is Mardi Gras, which literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French. Because Ash Wednesday came to be considered a holy day of sorts – more secular folk thought it might be a good idea to overindulge oneself in an abundance of pleasures before sacrificing anything for Lent. Hence, the overindulgence of drinking, eating, and riotous behavior rewarded with beads on the Fat Tuesday before Lent begins.
This is the same logic that gives us “All Hallow’s Eve” (Halloween) on October 31st just before All Saints’ Day on November 1st. Prior to practicing sacred behavior, the thinking goes, let’s indulge in some sacrilege just to get it out of our systems. This led to the ghouls and goblins associated with Halloween – the antithesis of holiness.
While Lent is not as abased as Halloween, it also has beneath it some anti-Christian origins. Ancient idolators who worshiped the sun god, Ra, celebrated this time of year because they believed that longer daylight hours were an affirmation of the sun god’s power. True Christians would never worship the creation, the sun, more than the Creator, God, so not many still look at Lent in this way.
Nevertheless, the intent behind the Lenten season – to draw closer to God by making a personal sacrifice and to remind ourselves of our own mortality – is a worthwhile endeavor. While not Biblical in its origin, the intent behind the tradition – done sincerely — helps bring us closer to God’s Kingdom.
Just thought you’d want to know: without sincerity and truth, Lent is just a long day.
