Lent and Time

Prompted by some of what I read and heard in Oxford last year, as well as by my increasing age, I’ve been thinking about time of late.

Lent is yet another prompt to reflect on time.  For one thing, misuse of time provides much about which to be penitent, does it not?  

While in Oxford, I gave up online 5 minute chess because I had too many more important things to do and wanted to use my time in Oxford well. That space helped me to see that my 5 minute chess habit was borderline idolatrous if not addictive.  I already knew I allowed it to take too much of my time.  I discovered I much preferred using my time better and did not miss 5 minute chess.  So when I returned, I did not return to that habit.  (I’m not saying 5 minute chess is inherently evil, but it was a bad time-wasting habit for me.)

My point is not to bash online chess (Although I could, trust me.), but to illustrate that use and misuse of time is a fertile ground for self-examination.  I will continue to work on my time management as part of what I’m “doing for Lent.”  Using time more aright does greatly reduce sin, does it not?

Lent is part of the cycle of time, and of the church year of course.  And we are cyclical creatures that need cycles.  If you feast all year, you invite all sorts of health problems and likely die early.  If you rest all year, you get weak and fat.  If you exercise and fast all the time, you may be killing yourself in a different way, and, yes, you may have anorexia. Our bodies and our selves need cycles, and the church calendar shows God’s wisdom in providing those.

This cyclical man is actually looking forward to Lent. I guess I have gotten more in sync with the cyclical time of the Kalendar.

I’ve rambled a bit here.  But may God bless you as you seek to use time better this Lent.