Let's Get Real

For those among us foolish enough to spend any time on social media, there's a good chance you've come across a meme of a snowbound landscape saying that one was giving up winter for lent.  Cue chuckle.

Frankly, there's so much wrong with this "joke".  First, should Lent be something that we use for cheap gags?  Second, has anyone really thought of what would happen without winter?  Goodbye snowpack, hello summer water shortages.  Third, has a meme ever changed anybody's mind or contributed to deeper thought about something?  In this age of 280 character tweets and snarky Facebook memes, Lent is a radical concept.  We take 40 whole days, not minutes, to reflect on our sins, rather than what somebody else is doing wrong.  Lent isn't about us and our desires, it's about God and what God wants from us.

Lent is a time for us to get real, to take seriously our lives, to set priorities that will bring us closer to Jesus.  If you're looking for something extra to give up this Lent, set aside the dopey meme.

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