The Deeper Meaning of Lent
Musings on Childhood Rituals to Spiritual Surrender
Growing up, I saw my parents going to church on Ash Wednesday. Usually, they left me at home with a neighbor or a friend because they thought I was too young to understand the meaning of Ash Wednesday, and the truth is, I didn't.
All I knew was that my parents returned home from church with black stuff that looked like dust on their foreheads. Others in our apartment either went to other churches or to Catholic Mass and had the same black marks. I didn't understand the whole concept of Lent or the season's meaning. I just knew my parents did not eat meat or seafood; they stuck to a vegetarian diet. They attended many special services and Lenten conventions.
During the week leading up to Easter, we spent nearly the whole week at church, culminating in the Easter Sunday services. I didn't mind it too much because it meant I could hang out with my friends after church, although the Good Friday service at the Indian church was a bit of a drag. After all, it usually lasted three hours, and no child wants to sit in church for that long.
Over the years, I have come to deeply appreciate the season of Lent. I would say it's probably my favorite season on the church calendar, even more than Advent. As a child, I was always taught that Lent is a time for giving up something we love in order to understand the gift of Easter. I learned that unless I sacrificed something truly important during Lent, I wouldn't grasp the significance of Christ's death on the cross for me.
It felt like harsh teaching because, as a child, I didn't want to give up anything to receive God's love. Growing up in a legalistic church that was also heavily influenced by Indian culture and community, behaving a certain way, making sacrifices, and being a good little girl were all the essential things I had to do to be worthy of Jesus's love. Thankfully, I have learned a deeper understanding of God's love for us over the last few decades. I no longer have to cling to the teachings that instilled more fear in my heart than understanding God's sacrifice for me and His grace toward me.
However, the reality is that, as followers of Christ, what He asks of us most is to surrender our hearts to Him. Surrendering our hearts to God encompasses every possible act of obedience, which involves giving ourselves entirely to His good pleasure. Perhaps the pastors from my childhood church instilled a fear of sacrifice and the acceptance of God's love. There was some truth to their teaching: at every moment in our lives, we must surrender, relinquish control, and let go of ourselves. We don't always understand the meaning of that surrender or submission. Nevertheless, we are simply called to offer all of ourselves to God and to be prepared to live according to His will.
The Lenten season begins this week, and millions of Christians will attend the Ash Wednesday service. As we approach the front of the church, our pastors will mark the cross on our foreheads and say, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." These words have been echoed every year throughout the ages, reminding us of the power and wisdom of this ritual. Most importantly, they remind us of death—we are all going to die. Death is certain, and the imposition of ashes serves as a reminder of our inevitable mortality. It anchors us in reality.
Whether we approach the table to receive the sacraments of bread and wine, walk through the waters of baptism, or have ashes placed upon us, these rituals remind us and direct our hearts toward God. We can view the Lenten season not merely as an opportunity to sacrifice by giving up chocolate, meat, social media, fast food, or soda. It's not about sacrificing something to feel loss and pain to comprehend what God has done for us; rather, it’s about surrendering our souls.
What God asks of us and our souls is to live in obedience, to trust Him, to obey Him, and above all, to practice self-denial. Letting go of the desire to control everything is likely the most significant step we can take to feel God's presence in our lives. When we reach the end of ourselves and are stripped of all our limited human control, we can understand how much He sacrificed for us.
He held nothing back for us. He gave himself up for us, taking the burden of our sins. He died for us simply because He loved us. Nothing we could give up or fast from could ever help us fully understand that because His love has an infinite capacity.
When we fast from our desires during the season of Lent, we should contemplate our deep need for control. Perhaps we can reflect on what we truly need: God. We need God; we must remember His presence in our lives every minute of every day. It's not about where we work, what we contribute, or how much money we earn. It's not about how remarkable we are! Everything we are comes from Him and is meant for Him.
We have no control over our lives, regardless of how much we think we do. Everything belongs to Him. We don't need to add or take away anything from our lives to earn His affection or love; He oversees and directs everything. It is all His. Our only responsibility is to be content and satisfied in His presence, rest, and understand that our existence and surrender are for His good pleasure.
So as we move through this week celebrating the ritual of Ash Wednesday, and as we move through the next six weeks of Lent contemplating the cross and the magnitude of what He did for us, let us use this season as a season of repentance—being aware of our weaknesses, being aware of the power of the incarnation and death, the reality of death and the power of resurrection. Let us also use the season to surrender, to give up the control we so desperately crave, for His good pleasure.
Reading resources for the season of Lent & Easter
Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter
Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal
Easter: The Season of the Resurrection of Jesus
The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ
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I grew up in church, but in the churches I attended, I don't ever recall hearing about Lent. A beautiful reminder of all that Christ gave up for us. Thank you for sharing!