The Tribune

By Rev Dr J Emmette Weir

“Is not this the fast that I choose to lose the bonds of injustice; to undo the thongs of the yoke; to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into your house; when you see the naked to cover them and not to hide yourself from the next of kin? Then your light will break forth like the dawn the glory of the Lord shall your rear guard.”

(Isaiah 58:8-9)

“What are you giving up for Lent?” This was a question which was often asked in my youth years. I don’t hear it often these days, but the idea of giving up something is still what informs thinking and practice about Lent by many Christians in our world.

Those who ask this question usually continue by announcing (somewhat self-righteously) what they would give up for Lent.

Now, I confess that I have never been impressed by this approach of the commemoration of the 40 days and 40 nights our Lord spent in the wilderness in preparation for His temptation. And this for several good reasons.

First, often what is being giving up is rather trivial – for example, not chewing gum, not eating chocolate, etcetera. These are not really sacrificial, merely inconvenient.

Secondly, and more significantly, I wondered why, in the case of more sacrificial and demanding practises – giving up smoking or the consumption of alcoholic beverages – people do not give them up altogether, not just during Lent.

For instance, it has been demonstrated that cigarette smoking is a major cause of lung cancer, so why not stop smoking, not just for Lent, but forever! The same can be said of the excessive consumption of alcohol.

Closely related to the above argument is the ineffectiveness of temporary abstinence. The reason for giving up certain practises is discipline – the need to exercise self-control in all situations. What is the use of abstinence from certain foods during Lent, only to engage in gluttony after it’s over.

By the same token, what is the use of abstaining from drinking during Lent, only “to drink like a fish” after or before the celebration of this holy time.

No doubt, concerns such as these were on the mind of the prophet Isaiah in condemning the celebrating of feast day in ancient Israel.

The prophet was disturbed that although many people were carrying out sacrifices, they were doing so in a selfish, hypocritical manner. He was deeply concerned that they were offering sacrifice and “going through the motions” of religious ritual without a chance at correction in their moral and spiritual growth. They were carrying out sacrifices without exercising moral integrity and social justice.

Thus, the prophets like Amos and Micah castigated the Israelites for engaging in religious ritual, while still engaging in immorality, idolatry and social injustice. They call upon the people to worship God not only by sacrifices, but also by acts of compassion and caring for others.

There can be no doubt that the prophets’ words are relevant to us today, for far too often our religious services are carried out with little relevance to our daily living. Far too many engage in religious services on Sunday only to be immoral and unkind during the week.

Here the prophets’ call to practise what you preach is relevant to us in this part of the Master’s vineyard.

Let us, in the spirit of the teaching of the prophets, adopt a positive approach to Lent. In essence, instead of thinking about what to give up, let us think about what to add; in what positive ways we can observe this holy time.

I know of Christians today who spend less on food for themselves and give the money saved to help the hungry in the world. This is just one of the many possible positive approaches to Lent. Yes, let us during this holy period do what we can to help others and keep on doing so forever!