Peter Espeut

The season of Lent begins today! This might not mean much to Jamaicans of more recent Christian history, but for Christians of more ancient traditions, Lent is a time of great importance, and needs to be taken seriously.

In this world full of different influences competing for our attention and participation, it is not difficult to slip into bad habits, to lose perspective, maybe even to grow lukewarm about important things. Sometimes without even realising it, our values and our priorities shift - even in good people - and we head off in the wrong direction with our lives and our lifestyles. Using more traditional language we could say that we fall into sin.

The season of Lent is a real gift to humanity. Lent is a time for taking stock of our lives, for spiritual and moral overhaul of our behaviour and the values and attitudes which determine our behaviour. Some churches act as if conversion is a one-time event, after which everything is OK and salvation is assured.

Deepen our conversion

Real life is not like that. We can have a major conversion experience - a turning point - but then follows the struggle with changing the little things. Every year - every day - we need to deepen our conversion, our commitment to not just 'talk the talk' but also to 'walk the walk'. Lent is an annual opportunity to improve our lives, to examine our lives as part of that ongoing conversion.

After his baptism by John and before beginning his public ministry, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness doing battle with the temptations of the evil one. Every year Christians with older traditions spend the 40 days of Lent doing the same thing, and indeed humanity today faces the same primordial temptations Jesus did: the temptations to pleasure, wealth and power; would that we would regularly overcome these challenges!

Need for self-control

It relates to what I wrote about last week - the need for self-control of our bodies and our lives - and Christian tradition possesses strategies to deal with these challenges which every Christian is encouraged to use during Lent. For the temptation to sensual pleasure, symbolised by the pleasure of eating and drinking, the practice of fasting is recommended. As I wrote last week, the essence of immaturity is to live life satisfying every craving that arises to obtain the 'pleasure', and that includes food and drink. Ancient Christian tradition calls for fasting on the Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent (for those medically able to do so) to assert control of the mind and the spirit over the body. Some of us carry our brains at or below our belts, and Lent is a good time to restore the proper balance.

For the temptation to materialism, to be inordinately attached to 'things', the practice of almsgiving is recommended. What better way to show that we are not dominated by 'things' than to give our things away. Ambrose, that great Christian saint of the 4th century, reminds us that when we give to the poor of our surplus - i.e. what we do not need - that is not real charity; genuine almsgiving is when we give away what we need, so that it hurts! So, let us ask ourselves about the role 'things' and material wealth play in our lives this Lent, and seek to put things in proper balance.

For the temptation to flaunt whatever power we have - to show off - the practice of prayer is recommended. When we pray to God, we start off admitting our powerlessness in the face of our Lord, admitting that any power we have comes to us in trust from God, to be properly used. Those who feel that they do not need to pray, that they can get whatever they need through their own power, have lost perspective, and need to get their lives in order.

Lent is a great opportunity to get back on track, to root out from our lives negative values and attitudes. May I challenge you to make good use of these 40 days of Lent to become a better person. If enough of us do it, Jamaica will become a better place.