Book Fast

The local pizza place has special menu for Lent. This is a curiosity for me that I will have to see (and maybe sample) for myself. As I have seen in practiced, Christians, most often those in the Roman Catholic faith, observe the fast by refraining from eating meat on Fridays. Interestingly, fish have been excluded from being categorized as “meat.” Therefore, this is why it is so common to see the local organizations sponsoring a fish fry or fish dinners during this season.

“What are you giving up for Lent?” More and more, that question is being asked by Christians from a variety of traditions. The discipline of fasting is applied to a certain aspect of daily life, not necessarily being food. Some turn the television or the radio off for the six weeks of Lent. I have heard of others abstaining from sweets or desserts. Lauren Winner, in her memoir, “Girl Meets God,” gave up books.

For some of us, giving up books doesn’t seem like a sacrifice. However, to Winner, reading is a central part of her life. By her count at that time in her life, she owned almost three thousand books, all crammed in her graduate student apartment. Just for comparison, I took a quick estimate of the books in my own study. By my count, I own one fifth of the books that Winner had, and many of the books on my shelf are in the “yet to read” category. Giving up reading is a sacrifice for Lauren Winner.

Winner talks about how she started her fast from reading nobly, proud that this was something that she could do. Later, temptation crept in. In her words, she “cheated.”

“I grab the book and I dig in. I read all night. I feel like the dieter, long deprived of anything tasty, who decides to devour a gallon of Breyer’s in one sitting.” (127)

For Winner, she learned that reading was an escape, as she says, “an always cure” to bring relief from whatever event or issue was troubling her. Without that escape she found herself spending more time in prayer. Giving something up for Lent led her to give more time to God.

As I think about this passage, I think of some words of Jesus that challenge me. First, I ask myself, what do I hold on to so tightly that it keeps me from following Christ? Matthew 8:18-22 comes to mind, especially the last two verses. Under the heading, “The Cost of Following Jesus,” one disciple pledges to follow Jesus, but only after he has buried his father. Jesus counters with these words, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

I also think of Matthew 6:16-18, which contains Jesus’ admonition on how to fast. To paraphrase, Jesus says to keep the fact that you are fasting to yourself. Fasting isn’t something you do to show others how “religious” you are. Fasting is something that you do for God.

From Lenten pizza, to giving up something for Lent, to Jesus’ words, let me close with a couple of thoughts to tie things together. Fasting or “giving something up for Lent” can be a worthwhile exercise. It helps us identify the things we give priority to that have little to do with the nurturing of our faith. The question we should ask ourselves when considering a Lenten fast of one type or another is, “What would we be slow to give up when we apply Jesus’ words, “Follow me,” to our own lives?

Finally, if some of us do decide to “give something up for Lent,” it must not be used as a badge to reveal a superior spirituality. Winner’s fast from books encouraged her to prayer. What would a fast do for us? More time in prayer and devotions with God? An increased sensitivity to loving those around us? During this season of Lent, may we consider our willingness to leave all behind and to follow Jesus.