I decided to give up chocolate for Lent. I always take part in this particular Christian ritual. My intentions are good for the others, but I just never quite get it done.
Since I came to work in Marion County, I've gone to the 7:30 a.m. Ash Wednesday service at First United Methodist Church of Columbia. My jobs were such that I never knew whether I would be able to attend an evening service, so I hit the morning service every year like clockwork.
I always think hard on what I will give up for Lent. I know it needs to be something I would feel the loss of and would have to put forth effort to give up. That would be chocolate — from the bread pudding at Stacey's Skillet, which I know Skyler Aultman will keep me from eating, to my white chocolate mocha creamer, that I hope Susan Amundson will use, and to the World's Finest Chocolate bars everyone seems to be selling for fundraisers.
I will be able to give it up for 40 days, but I will need help. I will need people who care about me to not buy it for me even though they know I love it. I will need people to tell me "no" when I ask for it. I will need people to still like me when I get fussy without it.
Most of all, I will need to replace it with more positive things.
Lent comes from the Old English word lencten, which translates to spring in our English of today. It is meant to mirror the 40 days and 40 nights Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting. It is preceded by Fat Tuesday, a day to cram in as much feasting as you can before you fast. The end of Lent should represent change, an improved person. If there is no change, what has a person accomplished?
On Wednesday, I had ashes placed on my forehead to symbolize mourning for my sins. When I think about it, lent is much more than giving up chocolate until Easter Sunday. There are actually three pillars of lent. Most of the time, only one of them gets noticed.
Pillar one, fasting, can be a time to give up something and also to learn about and have empathy with other religions. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, most other groups and even many nonreligious people have elements of fasting in their practices. Do you ever spend time with people who don't believe as you do? If not, what can you do to change that? This means not just being around them but learning from them and talking to them about their lives and their beliefs.
Do you think that Jesus only hung out with Jews? He spent time with all sorts of people, not just the ones who were exactly like him. Maybe we need to fast from our prejudice and fear of those who are different from us. We all have them, even those of us who adamantly think we don't. Pay attention to what you say around people who are like you, compared to what you say with people who aren't. If the two are different, this may be an area that needs some work.
Pillar two is devotion to the act of praying, emphasized especially by praying with others. Prayer is an act of communication with God. Sometimes, we don't pray because we feel it is the wrong time or wrong place, or we lack the right words or our negative feelings don't seem acceptable. If it is communicating with God, how can there be a wrong place, time, words or feelings?
We need to pray more. On our knees, in our cars, at our desks, wherever we are. We need to pray about everything. We need to talk to God just because we are breathing. I believe He is interested in every aspect of our lives, not just parts. Let loose, talk to Him and see what happens.
How can we pray with others? Some do so at church, but many don't attend church. Prayer doesn't have to be in a church. Group prayer knits people together and results in unity. What could unity do for our communities, offices, schools and homes?
The third pillar focuses on supporting those less fortunate than you. Less fortunate does not only mean in socioeconomic ways. The needs can be emotional, physical, mental, educational or other. Support can be given by comforting someone who is grieving, including someone who is alone, donating to causes, paying it forward, teaching another or doing any number of things to brighten someone's day.
Yes, I will miss my chocolate. When I crave it, I will instead try to take part in pillars two and three of lent. I will pray and, up until Mar. 8, I can buy a bag of dried beans for the March of the Mayors. This may benefit in more ways than chocolate ever will.
Beth Riles is a staff writer for The Columbian-Progress. She may be reached at (601) 736-2611 or eriles@columbianprogress.com.
