"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play…it is war minus the shooting."

George Orwell

The Lord’s death

Some Christian traditions celebrate Lent by giving up certain luxuries for 40 days before Easter in order to replicate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ going into the desert. Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. The purpose of observing Lent is to prepare the believer for Easter. Some Christian traditions expect their members to adhere to sacrificial living during Lent. Other Christian traditions argue that they celebrate Easter and the resurrection every day and the Easter does not have any particular significance.

Giving up wine or chocolate for a six-week period will probably help your waist-line but will it impact your soul? Readers who are athletes maintain a balanced diet throughout the year.

Whatever your tradition, I would propose to you to think of Lent as an opportunity. Not so much an opportunity to give something up for Lent as an opportunity to make a change to your schedule in order to give more time to connect with God. Commit more time to prayer or Bible reading. Listen more to faith-inspiring music. When you have been a Christian as long as I have, there can be a sense of having heard it all before. Let’s look for ways to look at the death and resurrection of Jesus with fresh eyes. Let us proclaim the Lord’s death to ourselves and to others.

As I write this it is almost one year since I have physically attended a church service and am unlikely to this Easter as UK is in lockdown. That brings its own challenges…and opportunities.

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