Holy Lent

I have a friend who has given up FaceBook for Lent. She's also keeping a blog about the experience here. I've really enjoyed reading her reflections. They've made me think about FaceBook and why I don't feel a need to give it up. Several of my friends gave it up last year. They found it had become addictive and was taking them away from their families or from time they might be spending with God. Living alone, I find that FaceBook helps me stay connected. Since I'm around people all day, it would be very easy to come back to my house and become a completely isolated introverted self. I need time alone to recharge, but FaceBook keeps me from being isolated. Almost all of my friends live far away from me, so even though the interactions are not as satisfying as time spent with real people, still, I feel like I'm not alone.

Over the years I have done many things for Lent, ranging from giving up chocolate, t.v., and soda to taking up praying for people or a particular prayer practice. This year I've decided to try something completely different. In thinking about what would make Lent meaningful for me, I thought about what draws me away from God. For me it's not tv or Internet, though I certainly give them more than their share of my time. But a graver thing is my own self-critical voice that tells me all day all of the things that I'm doing wrong. So my practice this Lent is a practice of gentleness. My mantra is, Be Gentle. Each time I hear my inner critic starting to yell, I say, Be Gentle. I also spend time each night thinking back over the day and finding some things to be satisfied with. Hopefully my practice of gentleness and generosity with myself will also extend to a practice of gentleness and generosity with others.