“Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other. It embraces judgment, discernment, comprehension. It is a gestalt or oneness, and integrated wholeness.” Stephen R. Covey
When we hear the word Lent, many of us automatically think of giving up a bad habit. “I’ll quit drinking for Lent.” “I’ll lose ten pounds.” “I’ll quit smoking.” “I’ll give up chocolate.” However, giving up a random habit is not necessarily the spirit of Lent. The concept of Lent – a period of fasting and discernment – is universal. Perhaps it’s something worth considering, regardless of your spiritual beliefs.
Mardi Gras – the storm before the calm
The day before Ash Wednesday is known as Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Shrove Tuesday, a Christian concept, was originally a day of confession and reflection. Mardi Gras, the idea of a feast at this time of year predates Christianity. In addition to being a pagan celebration, it also was likely a practical way to clean out one’s cupboards of perishables before spring. The word Carnaval, another name for Mardi Gras, is thought to reference the absence of meat after the celebration is over.
Despite its reputation for exuberance and overindulgence in places like New Orleans, modern-day Mardi Gras is still deeply rooted in the Catholic tradition. In Mobile, Alabama, the birthplace of Mardi Gras in the U.S., most of the mystic societies that parade host a private, invitation-only ball after the parade. The mystic society that hosts the last parade of the season on Tuesday night, the Order of Myths, traditionally ended their dance by midnight in order to commence the observation of Lent. The finally simply discontinued the dance entirely.
The history of Lent
Historically, Lent is a 40 day period of fasting and discernment leading to Easter. It is a tradition that, though it goes back more than 1,500 years, is not mentioned in the Bible and was not necessarily a part of early Christianity. Though some Christians relate it to the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, it could have simply been a practical response to the lean time of the year before crops were ready. In the Catholic and Episcopal churches, it is also a part of the liturgical calendar, the periods of time that make up a given year: Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, Advent, Christmas and so on.
The meaning of Ash Wednesday
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. On that day, 40 days before Easter (not including Sundays,) Roman Catholics and members of other traditional Christian denominations attend an early church service, where they are marked on the forehead with a cross made of ashes (usually drawn by the priest with his finger.) The ashes symbolize the fragility and finite nature of each individual life. The ashes are a reminder of the humility we might consider, given our individual insignificance in the vastness of the universe. For many, it is a day of reflection and penance.
Making Lent meaningful
One lifetime is such a small measure of time. And yet, there are those who make a difference. Jesus made his 33 years count for quite a bit. So have so many others. What could we do during forty days to bring each of us into a deeper comprehension of our universal connectedness? How could we better understand how to engage in that “integrated wholeness” Stephen Covey mentions?
Over the next 40 days, we will be posting ideas for a meaningful Lenten season. What are the best ideas you have heard? Please share them here. (Or, if you think the idea of Lent is passe, why?)