Lent Has Become Mainstream

Happy Ash Wednesday to everyone! The advent of the Hipster Uprising has brought many unpopular things to the forefront of the trendy parade for the sake of simple irony. It's really quite amusing and for those in less urban areas completely unintelligible. Unfortunately this ironic effect is spilling over into the ancient and aesthetic Christian observance of Lent. 

The purpose of Lent to the Chrisitan faithful is simply to unite with the sufferings of Jesus through sacrifice, and gain virtue through habitual practice of this sacrifice. I'll come right out and say we ourselves have lost the forest by focusing on the trees in this ecclesiastical season. 

As a disclaimer this post is not directed at any individual or group of individuals, except for the group of Christians as a whole. It's a trend I've seen in myself and others, and it's gotten to a point where it's absurdity needs to be proclaimed. 

We have all become a people of excuses.  In the time period where every other day there's a video on the news about a large group of Christians being publicly executed by terrorists, we subconsciously look for any opportunity to ease our religious investment. If information is power, we are the most powerful middle class ever to exist; Why is our collective willpower wilting away to nothing. 

I think there's a lot to be said for the idea that how you start something is half of how you'll finish it. To be blunt, we start Lent like a bunch of pansies. Two small meals and one large meal? Are you kidding me? That's the normal day of most people. Oh and if you need a snack to keep going you can do that. Please. I weigh 230 lbs and I can get through the day on a bowl of tomato soup and a piece of bread. So can you. 

In addition to being a bunch of whining babies about not stuffing our faces, our "sacrifices" have become plain ludacris (intentional). You're giving up your social networking site? You're giving up drinking or smoking during the week?! Jesus went and stayed in a desert for 40 days while not eating or drinking. I'm sure your lack of Facebook will really put you in the spirit of self-giving and willpower. 

This new trend of giving up things during weekdays is absolutely hilarious. Just stop and think about how ridiculous you are being. If that's your sacrifice just don't even bother, because by the end of Lent you won't have built any willpower. You will be more accustomed to putting things off, though, so that's pretty hardcore. 

In this day and age we are raised to be comfortable. If your Lenten sacrifice puts you on the edge of your comfort zone, you aren't doing it right. I know we've trained ourselves to excuse ourselves out of not being gratified at all times, but take 40 days off from it. 

I say this all the time like a broken record, but buck the trend. Be great, not normal. Whether in life, labor, finance or what have you, it's those who decide to do something better that succeed. Start it right; end it right. 

~Worley