This week starts the season of lent. For many Christians all over the world it is a 40 day journey of fasting, reflection, and awareness of the brokenness of our world, our communities and ourselves. It is a reminder that we are made of dust and will return to dust (hence the cross of ashes you saw on people on Wednesday). It is a reminder why the Christian faith community believes that Jesus was needed to redeem us, that there needed to be a bigger outside force to restore our humanity.
Our world is broken, selfish, and undisciplined. You can see the news and be discouraged, you can go on social media and realize how ‘little’ your life is in comparison to others. Our lives are so influenced by what we see and hear, our reactions so manipulated.

People fast from different things. To fast is to abstain from something. In many faith communities that means exchanging the item we are fasting from with being more focused on God and others. It is to use the time to pray, to be aware of our own limitations and become more aware of God. It is different for every person, some people restrict what they eat, being aware of God the provider. Others will refrain from other things and use that time for prayer or study. This is not to lose weight, or anything like that (because that would really put the attention back on us). It is about giving up something to be closer to God.
As part of my ‘fasting’ I decided to get off social media. Yes, I think I am addicted to it. This will be a good way for a reset, for having extra time to be connected with God and ‘real’ people, a moment of silence while standing in line at the grocery store, or while waiting for someone, it is a time where I will have more time to think, reflect, and pray.

I was reading an article about the change in our dopamine levels when we get the ‘ding’ notification, when we scroll through social media, when we respond to it. There is article after article about the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media. It is now associated with creating unhealthy behaviors, FOMO (fear of missing out), depression and many other issues, it also gives us opportunities to say what we want without thinking of the person who is reading it. Social media is good to stay in contact, to see family and catch up on things, but it also dangerous when it becomes a way of saying things you would never say in person. It is a dangerous thing when we spend too much time on it.

This is my fast, this is my way of resetting my priorities and becoming more aware of my surroundings.

Lent is good for all of us. Taking time to recenter, time to reevaluate, time to think about our mortality, time to return to our humanity.