Article from Men Media
Kate Whiting
Kate Whiting shares her thoughts on Lent My name’s Kate and I’m a serial giver-upper. Not a quitter. Giving up involves actively forbidding myself from touching certain key treats – cake, biscuits, sugar in general. And it helps me to avoid the kind of scenario that ensues when Cadbury’s Creme Eggs land at my local supermarket: an epic tussle between my inner chocolate-craving demon and calorie-loathing angel. The angelic, control freak inside me lives in fear of the weight-gaining chaos that would follow if I gave in to temptation, while my other, sneakier side is delighted to indulge.
The term ‘moderation’ simply doesn’t exist in my vocabulary – instead ‘all or nothing’ with me, as I console myself with the knowledge that once a box of chocolates has been eaten, it’s gone and can be ‘given up’ (until the next box). So Lent comes as a relief, because it gives me a structure in which to give up stuff. Adhered to by non-Christians as well as believers, Lent is a season of prayer, penitence and self-denial which lasts for 40 days and nights from today.
As a church-goer, it comes with an added spiritual element, helping me to reflect on what is truly important. And breaking Lent results in a big dose of Anglican guilt. But now ‘giving up’ is a necessity, rather than a virtuous choice, for most of the country. Government cuts, pay freezes and rising living costs stare us in the face – making me wonder whether I will be doing Lent at all this year. You see, it’s precisely that little egg wrapped in shiny foil that can sweeten the bitter pill of economic woe. It’s the same reason why sales of cosmetics and beauty luxuries have gone up by almost 50 per cent in a year, according to John Lewis, in a phenomenon known as the ‘lipstick effect’. When times are hard, we want a treat. So, will I still be doing Lent this year? Yes. But instead of seeing it as a punishment, I’m going to consider it an act of defiance, a demonstration of strength in the face of forces that threaten my wellbeing. See the next 40 days as a chance to take some control back by actively choosing not to fall back into the same old bad habits. Choose Lent and you might find that giving up is life-giving.
Article from Men Media
