Christians generally know
that Jesus voluntarily spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness and faced
staggering temptations and levels of physical and spiritual deprivation in ways
we will never know. Some Christian traditions know that Lent is a period
of 40 days and nights that we can use to look at how we respond to temptations
and how we have created some spiritual deprivation for ourselves.
We live in a different kind of wilderness ~ it is overall
a spiritual desert, a world of glittering excess and cultural demand, where
life without the largest tv, best cable sports package, latest electronic
gadget, or biggest walk-in closet is what we think would make life
complete. In the midst of our everyday busy-ness, Fasting may
mean more about fast-food than spiritual discipline. And while
giving up sugary soda or cigarettes is a start for a healthier physical
life, let's fast from more than just food or addictive substances and voluntarily,
intentionally, and consciously give up and take
on something new each day of this Lenten season, dedicate those
acts to God for the benefit of our spiritual life and pray that, by
the end, our spirits soar with the Christ who will rise and we, too, become a
new creation [1 Corinthians 5:17].
Holy God, in this second day of Lent, I will give
up complaining about the weather, the traffic, or the price of eggs,
and take on a donation, perhaps to a worthy charity who
gives gloves, hats, coats, blankets, or other items to those who are cold,
hungry, and homeless in body or mind. I pray for my own
strength of spirit to avoid consumer distractions and discover the blessings of
less stuff to care for and more time to spend with You. amen.
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