I Gave Up Beer For Lent – I Bought More Gin Instead
March 17, 2009 at 7:22 am - By: Ro · About Church.The title sums it up--the futility of lent. Many Christians participate in Lent--the season of 50 days prior to Easter. The very basic idea is you have an orgy of fun on Mardi Gras, get rid of all the meat in your house, then fast for 50 days by giving up something in an effort to experience some form of sacrifice akin to Christ on the cross.
I'm not entirely convinced we have the right idea. So in the effort of good nature and participation I decided to give up beer for Lent, but only to point out its futility (not of Lent, but of our perspective on it). You see I gave up beer, but drank more more gin in its place.
I'm doing just fine with my Lent fast, and quite enjoying my daily gin and tonic at the same time. Similarly I hear a lot of people recount their 'sacrifice' such as giving up coffee, doughnuts, cursing, red meat, TV, Facebook (yea right), and so forth.
Congrats if you can go the entire 40 days (Sunday's apparently don't count in the official schedule), but what are we proving/doing exactly? Showing how we can give up coffee for 40 days, and somehow giving up the addiction to this stimulant draws us near to Christ's death on the cross?
Coffee v. cross......something sounds amiss
I purposefully conducted my charade of beer to gin in an attempt to point out how strange it is to 'give' up indulgences for 1.7 months. Especially when the plan is to stuff your face full of 'x' substance after Easter; what was the point of the first 50 again?
Most point out that the process pushes one into the reality/remembrance of the season, I think that certainly is a good thing. However, if it's really about sacrifice, then why not give up 'x' forever? Don't look back, Christ didn't, why should we?
It gets a bit harder when we talk about forever? No coffee forever? Can you think of anything you'd give up forever? Can you think of something you'd give up forever on an annual basis? Really puts the whole Lent season into a different perspective....
Admittedly, even what I've suggested is merely a perspective. I have a link to an even better article on Lent and its connection to fasting/feasting. This is a must read after this article, you'll hopefully find some more insight regarding the season of non-gras.
Cin Says:
Y know the stones song every picture has a story well every journey has a beginning. And for many believers that 50 days can be a significant start to a more indepth walk with our Lord. Maybe it's your age but there is significance behind history and ritual. PM society would prefer we forget our roots. Many of us have. However, many who give up something for 50 days may well find out we can do without it or less of it or find out exactly how much of an idol or God substitute it really was.
On a barely related note I happened to see the first atheist bus ad. I was amused by the phrase there probably isn't a God.... It's so funny. What do they mean by 'probably'? Are they being truthful? Because they sure haven't disproved His existence have they? Are they covering all their bases just and don't want to offend Him just IN CASE He does exist? Or are they just wishy washy? I would have liked to have talked to the person who came up with that phrase!
God probably has a sense of humor but I wonder what He will say to that author when he finally gets to meet him.
On another rabbit trail.....wild goose chase.....it is extremely interesting to note the somewhat rude reception George Bush got for his stop in Calgary. Being that Calgary and Alberta are the most pro American city and province in Canada, the protests may be an indication that we are finally developing our own character.... which could bode well for a new concept of church in the PM society, anyways enough random ramblings!
March 17, 2009, 4:52 pmRo Says:
I agree that Lent is a stepping stone for many, I don't discredit the history/tradition at all. I'm curious to know though how we can interpret tradition today to find more meaning.
Yes, God has a sense of humour, sometimes quite piercing as well.
March 17, 2009, 6:31 pmMark Says:
LMAO!
I gave up beer LAST year for Lent. Didn't work out so well, as I became a raging alcoholic. From going to restaurants to going out, it became a disaster. This year, I was going to give up pepperoni pizzas, until I did something terribly wrong, so I decided to give up alcohol in general. These next two days cannot go by any SLOWER.
April 10, 2009, 7:32 amRo Says:
Mark, take it easy, no point celebrating the victory of Easter with an orgy of drunken beer-ness.
April 11, 2009, 9:21 am