During the season of Lent, many people will give up things (chocolate, meat, caffeine, television, sarcasm, etc.) Others will try new things during the Lenten journey…like exercising, volunteering at a mission or shelter, or praying.

The thing about Lent is that it’s a great time to consider how we live. Are there things we need to let go of? Are there things that we should really put into practice?

Generally, I do not give things up during Lent. I’ve found that when I consider what I will give up for Lent, I do so in more of a selfish way than from a perspective of fasting that will help me consider the suffering of Christ. I tend to look at fasting for Lent as something that might benefit me…not so much spiritually…but physically. If I give up sugar, I’ll drop some of those unwanted pounds. One year, I gave up eating meat…only to have someone point out one evening that I was eating noodles that were cooked in beef broth and that the beef broth contained meat/meat bi-products. I refer to that person as the Lent Nazi (harsh? yes!). And, my motivation should have been questioned. First, I really do not consume that much meat to begin with…so it wasn’t much of a sacrifice. And, in the back of my mind, I was thinking about the health benefits of avoiding greasy cheeseburgers.

So, this year, instead of giving up Cadbury Eggs (seriously, that would be a sacrifice…as I believe I could consume about 12 every single day), I am going to be taking on some new practices.

I tend to pray and read the Bible on a daily basis. However, it’s never in a structured setting…outside of reading a Psalm and saying a brief prayer before I begin my work each day. I’m more of a “pray on the fly” and “read when it’s convenient” kind of guy.

So, during the season of Lent, I will be setting aside 2-hours each day for Bible reading and prayer. I have some resources (some of which I may share on this blog) that I’ll be using to help me throughout the journey.

I’m sure it will be difficult at first. It’s hard for me to focus on something for more than a few minutes. But, I’m hoping that this will develop into a habit that goes beyond Lent.

So, what are you giving up or taking on for Lent?

The last few weeks, as I have watched and read the news, I can physically feel my heart begin to sink. With the events that have been taking place in Egypt, Arizona, Russia, and throughout the world, I am often overwhelmed by the amount of violence that seems to surface on an all too regular basis.

And, this is not just something that happens somewhere else…senseless acts of violence occur every single day in your town, your school, your place of employment. While the scale of violence differs, there is violence nonetheless.

And so, when I hear and read the news reports of all of this violence that occurs in our city, our country, and our world, I find myself feeling hopeless and desperately crying out, “What can I do?”

This morning, while doing some devotional reading, I found a bit of encouragement in Romans 12.

Verse 3 says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

When I hear of violence, I tend to lash out in self-righteous judgment. And, I’m pretty sure that just does not help things.

So, for me, the first step is to have a clear understanding of who I am. Generally, when I hear reports of violence, I puff myself up with prideful arrogance…patting myself on the back for not being like “those” people. If I gain a clear understanding of myself, I’ll see that I’m really not as perfect as I like to think that  I am…that I’m really not so different from those who commit heinous acts of violence. Gaining a proper perspective on who I am just might keep me from so quickly lashing out in judgment.

Romans 12:9-21 offers up some wisdom on how we may be able to overcome some of the violence and evil that seems to prevail in this world. It says, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I’ve always wondered how we can practice peace in such a violent world.

Romans 12 tells us to “live peaceably with all”. And, it seems that peaceful living is closely associated with love.

The answer to the question of how we can practice peace in a violent world, the answer to the question of what I can do in light of the violence in our world seems to be love…genuine love…love for all…even our enemies.

This love is the kind of love that isn’t just love in theory…this is meant to be love in practice. Feeding and giving drinks to our hungry and thirsty enemies…not seeking revenge…instead, seeking to do good…to all.

The call to love one another…even our enemies…is overwhelming! And, yet, it is central to the message of the Gospel.

I wonder, what would happen if Christians began to take the call to love God and love one another (even our enemies) seriously?

Maybe the violence in this world would begin to decrease and peace and unity might increase. How will you show love today?

I always find it interesting when groups of Christian believers get together and determine when “the rapture” will take place. Lately, a new group proclaiming May 21,2011 as “the day” has been getting some attention. I’ll give them their props…they have some effective PR. Billboards…bus stop benches…even a Subaru (keep Lafayette driving!)!

But, ultimately, all of this kind of saddens me because it’s just another case in which people have missed the point. I don’t think Jesus goal in coming to teach people how to truly live had anything to do with people trying to figure out when He would return. I believe His goal was more about faithful living, not end times scare tactics…but I could be wrong.

The verse on the side of the Subaru is Acts 17:31, which reads, “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

Okay, so God has set a day. The problem I see is the idea that we can somehow calculate that date. I mean, let’s be honest, many of these calculated dates have come and gone over the years.

In my mind, if May 21, 2011 happens to be “the day” it will simply be a bizarre coincidence.

It just misses the point. In Matthew 24, Jesus (the Dude who will be the One to return on “the day”) talks about the end times. He talks about not letting anyone deceive you (like people who tell you to “save the date”). He talks about what things could be like.

Then he clearly states in verse 36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.” So, according to the “we can know” folks…I guess that only God and Harold Camping can know the day and the hour.

Jesus, again…the Main Dude in this story, states in verse 42, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Pretty clear.

You know, the truth is, we all miss the point at times. We all can be tempted to focus on things that are non-essential and ignore the essential.

Maybe the “save the date” campaign will inspire some people to deepen their faith. But, what will the impact be if the day comes and goes and Jesus doesn’t return? How will that impact the faith of those saving the date?

So, what are you doing on May 21, 2011? I’m thinking about throwing a big party…and we’ll see who’s left behind! It will be awesome!

Check out the Washington Post article HERE.

Check out the We Can Know website HERE.