I grew up in the Methodist church and was not raised to practice abstinence as a part of the Lenten season. After I was baptized in Community of Christ, I felt called to engage in a Lenten practice.
Giving up chocolate did not speak me, so for that first
year I gave up “the need to be right”.
As I told everyone. This is not forever, it is 6 weeks, with Sundays
off. It may not be perfect, but I will
try. It was an amazing experience, and
when I tell the story I find many relate to my struggle with the need to be
right.
It is many years later, and last year I chose to give up judgement. This year I find I wish to complete more work
on judgement. It is not a topic you can
explore in six weeks. In fact, much of
this last year has been learning about the topic.
Last year included a great deal of time and study that
spoke of “it’s not all about me” and other studies such as white privilege and social
justice.
I have not been spending a lot of time thinking about how
judgmental I may be. But how many of us
can honestly say we are not, and where did the beliefs come from that result in
judgmental attitudes.
I am reading and amazing book titled “Beguiled by Beauty,
by Wendy Farley.” The chapter on non
judgement is what spoke to me about Lent this year.
In the book she speaks of being open to gentleness, patient
with others who may be struggling and acting out.
Looking at the world with curiosity, as in” I wonder what
that is all about.” Rather than diving
into prefabricated assumptions about what is happening around us. Even if we are right, and others are wrong,
contempt for others is damaging to the Spirit.
And first and foremost, stop judging myself.
To quote Julian of Norwich (an ancient mystic) “Our Beloved Mother God does not condemn what she has made, and neither should we."
And so, a little abstinence during Lent, is an opportunity
for introspection. After all it is only
six weeks with Sundays off, and does not have to completed perfectly, if one at
least tries.
Or there is always chocolate.
