People don't give up stuff for Lent much any more. I once went to a luxury chocolate shop and asked them whether they sold less chocolate during Lent - they noticed no difference.We ran a poll on Christian Connection, 40% said they didn't believe in doing anything for Lent, and about 20% said they tried to give things up, and another 20% tried to do something spiritual. That's apparently active Christians - so for the other 90% of the population, it's probably even lower.
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2 comments:
from my limited knowledge of orthodoxy-with-a-capital-o, the point of lent isn't sacrifice as much as preparing oneself for a feast. fasting is like a palate cleanser. last lent, this past advent, this lent, and most wednesdays and fridays over the last few months, i've kept the traditional fast - essentially, veganism.
what worries me about neo-lentism (i just coined that term) is how self-centred it can be. we choose something we want to give up... usually something we might be wise to give up permanently. even aside from the fact that i'm generally stumbling back toward the orthodox-with-a-capital-o church, there's something meaningful about fasting the way the church has fasted so many generations. it's like communion with the saints in preparation for communion at easter... like the bachelorette party before the wedding, except without the double entendres and silly games. does that make any sense?
Hey Mara, great to hear from you! I hope things are going well for you.
I totally get what you're saying and agree. Fasting is a lost discipline but necessary & super beneficial to those who partake.
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