In my devotions for Ash Wednesday I ran across a line that caught my attention: "Lent is not about losing weight." What a wonderful critique of Lenten practices that betray the true sense of the season.
I think what the author meant was this: the temptation of Lent, as in all of life, is to turn even our spiritual practices (yes, even our Lenten discipline) into a narcissistic self-improvement program. Truth be told, it is my hope that all emerge from Lent "better people"--if the practice of repentance "takes"--but that is a different matter.
Has this in fact been what we have turned Lent into: another set of New Year's resolutions, or Christian weight-loss/self-improvement program? I hope not.
Perhaps careful attention to (and practice of) the three traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and works of mercy/almsgiving may serve to reverse this.
