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An Involuntary Lent

by Jim Wallis 03-04-2009 | 9:30pm
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In 1956, a few hundred Catholic teachers and catechists gathered at Mt. Carmel High School on Hoover Street in Los Angeles for workshops and teaching on religious education. Today, this gathering is called the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress and brings together 40,000 Catholics from around the world for fellowship, worship, and learning. I had the blessing and the privilege of being this year's keynote speaker for the event.

I opened that morning by reading from a "Lenten Letter" written by Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He had this reflection on both Lent and the current economic crisis:

According to the calendar, Ash Wednesday occurs this week and we begin another Lent. Except for this year. Lent actually began in 2007 for many thousands of families all across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and we have been in a long and protracted season of Lent ever since. In what sense?

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by: Eric77

03-05-2009 @ 9:12pm

I'm glad Jim recognizes that it's the culture that pervades our country that needs to be changed. Government policy doesn't set the culture. It's the reverse. Working to change government is fine, but in the long run it won't matter if we don't first chance the culture.

by: nuclearferret

03-05-2009 @ 10:21pm

Considering the $190 million that the Cardinal spent on a church, and the financial implications of his handling of sex abuse claims, he must be remarkable in being able to write about the financial woes of regular people.

by: brentw

03-05-2009 @ 3:06am

Jim.

As a card-carrying secularist, I have a slightly different take on the way out of this economic/moral mess. For one does not preach to any secular choir (a possible majority here and a clear one in Europe) by referencing the virtues of Lent nor Easter, for they mean nothing to the secularist who fancies himself to be astride the world-where hubris is the lamp post-where the weak are the red meat, the mere prey.

And where the current disaster is a mere setback on the march to secular self-love.

Thus, I agree we need to change character, social structures, our actions. It may well be that the acquisitive class among us may adjust their behavior s in the short, if not long term, but I have scant hope that without a transfiguration of the dominant secular culture, little will change in the long run.

It may be as the German philosopher Habermas laments: religion is an inescapable human requirement. The question is: How does one carry this transfiguration to the blind? Who see nothing and feel less?

As a secularist who cares about agape and her kin, this is worrisome. How does one reconfigure the culture such that it acts from the precepts of agape and not those of desire?

As I write this I am listening to La Oreja de Van Gohgo"s "Rosas", a Spanish pop group who understands, as least in this song, the need to incarnate love-rosas as eros, the sign of agape in sptie of our/my? Secularist heritage

Love, shall we, and do what we will? Well, why not?

by: TedVothJr

03-05-2009 @ 4:45pm

Jim, just be careful not to confound the Church with the world philosophically/theologically as Constantine did politically.
'The church must live as a sign of the coming complete kingdom of Jesus Christ', says Tom Wright', but John the beloved said in 1st John 5:19 'We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.' Or better 'in the wicked one.'
We're here to show the world what the Kingdom is/will be, but the Kingdom will be perfected only when Messiah returns as King. Even so, come, Lord Jesus

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

03-05-2009 @ 7:29pm

Instead of following man-made religious rules which are not even scripturally correct in the first place, why don't Jesus' follower individually decide on their own what they are going to give up for any period of time.

There is no such thing as "Lent" in the New Testament.

I am reminded of the term paper I did for Art History class in college. A local Roman Catholic Church's priest in France decided that it would be a sin to eat butter and if one ate it, they would have to pay a "butter tax," aka a "sin tax," to the church's building program for its building of a tower.

As a result, the bell tower that was built was called the "Butter Tower."

by: Eric77

03-05-2009 @ 9:08pm

I think you're confusing a rule with an observance. There is no rule that Christians give something up for Lent, or even observe Lent at all. That doesn't mean that it is improper for Christians to observe or go without something during this time in preparation for the celebration of Christ rising from the dead.

by: Eric77

03-05-2009 @ 9:12pm

I'm glad Jim recognizes that it's the culture that pervades our country that needs to be changed. Government policy doesn't set the culture. It's the reverse. Working to change government is fine, but in the long run it won't matter if we don't first chance the culture.

by: nuclearferret

03-05-2009 @ 10:21pm

Considering the $190 million that the Cardinal spent on a church, and the financial implications of his handling of sex abuse claims, he must be remarkable in being able to write about the financial woes of regular people.

by: brentw

03-05-2009 @ 3:06am

Jim.

As a card-carrying secularist, I have a slightly different take on the way out of this economic/moral mess. For one does not preach to any secular choir (a possible majority here and a clear one in Europe) by referencing the virtues of Lent nor Easter, for they mean nothing to the secularist who fancies himself to be astride the world-where hubris is the lamp post-where the weak are the red meat, the mere prey.

And where the current disaster is a mere setback on the march to secular self-love.

Thus, I agree we need to change character, social structures, our actions. It may well be that the acquisitive class among us may adjust their behavior s in the short, if not long term, but I have scant hope that without a transfiguration of the dominant secular culture, little will change in the long run.

It may be as the German philosopher Habermas laments: religion is an inescapable human requirement. The question is: How does one carry this transfiguration to the blind? Who see nothing and feel less?

As a secularist who cares about agape and her kin, this is worrisome. How does one reconfigure the culture such that it acts from the precepts of agape and not those of desire?

As I write this I am listening to La Oreja de Van Gohgo"s "Rosas", a Spanish pop group who understands, as least in this song, the need to incarnate love-rosas as eros, the sign of agape in sptie of our/my? Secularist heritage

Love, shall we, and do what we will? Well, why not?

by: TedVothJr

03-05-2009 @ 4:45pm

Jim, just be careful not to confound the Church with the world philosophically/theologically as Constantine did politically.
'The church must live as a sign of the coming complete kingdom of Jesus Christ', says Tom Wright', but John the beloved said in 1st John 5:19 'We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.' Or better 'in the wicked one.'
We're here to show the world what the Kingdom is/will be, but the Kingdom will be perfected only when Messiah returns as King. Even so, come, Lord Jesus

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

03-05-2009 @ 7:29pm

Instead of following man-made religious rules which are not even scripturally correct in the first place, why don't Jesus' follower individually decide on their own what they are going to give up for any period of time.

There is no such thing as "Lent" in the New Testament.

I am reminded of the term paper I did for Art History class in college. A local Roman Catholic Church's priest in France decided that it would be a sin to eat butter and if one ate it, they would have to pay a "butter tax," aka a "sin tax," to the church's building program for its building of a tower.

As a result, the bell tower that was built was called the "Butter Tower."

by: Eric77

03-05-2009 @ 9:08pm

I think you're confusing a rule with an observance. There is no rule that Christians give something up for Lent, or even observe Lent at all. That doesn't mean that it is improper for Christians to observe or go without something during this time in preparation for the celebration of Christ rising from the dead.

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by: brentw

03-05-2009 @ 3:06am

Jim.

As a card-carrying secularist, I have a slightly different take on the way out of this economic/moral mess. For one does not preach to any secular choir (a possible majority here and a clear one in Europe) by referencing the virtues of Lent nor Easter, for they mean nothing to the secularist who fancies himself to be astride the world-where hubris is the lamp post-where the weak are the red meat, the mere prey.

And where the current disaster is a mere setback on the march to secular self-love.

Thus, I agree we need to change character, social structures, our actions. It may well be that the acquisitive class among us may adjust their behavior s in the short, if not long term, but I have scant hope that without a transfiguration of the dominant secular culture, little will change in the long run.

It may be as the German philosopher Habermas laments: religion is an inescapable human requirement. The question is: How does one carry this transfiguration to the blind? Who see nothing and feel less?

As a secularist who cares about agape and her kin, this is worrisome. How does one reconfigure the culture such that it acts from the precepts of agape and not those of desire?

As I write this I am listening to La Oreja de Van Gohgo"s "Rosas", a Spanish pop group who understands, as least in this song, the need to incarnate love-rosas as eros, the sign of agape in sptie of our/my? Secularist heritage

Love, shall we, and do what we will? Well, why not?

by: brentw

03-05-2009 @ 3:06am

Jim.

As a card-carrying secularist, I have a slightly different take on the way out of this economic/moral mess. For one does not preach to any secular choir (a possible majority here and a clear one in Europe) by referencing the virtues of Lent nor Easter, for they mean nothing to the secularist who fancies himself to be astride the world-where hubris is the lamp post-where the weak are the red meat, the mere prey.

And where the current disaster is a mere setback on the march to secular self-love.

Thus, I agree we need to change character, social structures, our actions. It may well be that the acquisitive class among us may adjust their behavior s in the short, if not long term, but I have scant hope that without a transfiguration of the dominant secular culture, little will change in the long run.

It may be as the German philosopher Habermas laments: religion is an inescapable human requirement. The question is: How does one carry this transfiguration to the blind? Who see nothing and feel less?

As a secularist who cares about agape and her kin, this is worrisome. How does one reconfigure the culture such that it acts from the precepts of agape and not those of desire?

As I write this I am listening to La Oreja de Van Gohgo"s "Rosas", a Spanish pop group who understands, as least in this song, the need to incarnate love-rosas as eros, the sign of agape in sptie of our/my? Secularist heritage

Love, shall we, and do what we will? Well, why not?

by: TedVothJr

03-05-2009 @ 4:45pm

Jim, just be careful not to confound the Church with the world philosophically/theologically as Constantine did politically.
'The church must live as a sign of the coming complete kingdom of Jesus Christ', says Tom Wright', but John the beloved said in 1st John 5:19 'We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.' Or better 'in the wicked one.'
We're here to show the world what the Kingdom is/will be, but the Kingdom will be perfected only when Messiah returns as King. Even so, come, Lord Jesus

by: TedVothJr

03-05-2009 @ 4:45pm

Jim, just be careful not to confound the Church with the world philosophically/theologically as Constantine did politically.
'The church must live as a sign of the coming complete kingdom of Jesus Christ', says Tom Wright', but John the beloved said in 1st John 5:19 'We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.' Or better 'in the wicked one.'
We're here to show the world what the Kingdom is/will be, but the Kingdom will be perfected only when Messiah returns as King. Even so, come, Lord Jesus

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

03-05-2009 @ 7:29pm

Instead of following man-made religious rules which are not even scripturally correct in the first place, why don't Jesus' follower individually decide on their own what they are going to give up for any period of time.

There is no such thing as "Lent" in the New Testament.

I am reminded of the term paper I did for Art History class in college. A local Roman Catholic Church's priest in France decided that it would be a sin to eat butter and if one ate it, they would have to pay a "butter tax," aka a "sin tax," to the church's building program for its building of a tower.

As a result, the bell tower that was built was called the "Butter Tower."

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

03-05-2009 @ 7:29pm

Instead of following man-made religious rules which are not even scripturally correct in the first place, why don't Jesus' follower individually decide on their own what they are going to give up for any period of time.

There is no such thing as "Lent" in the New Testament.

I am reminded of the term paper I did for Art History class in college. A local Roman Catholic Church's priest in France decided that it would be a sin to eat butter and if one ate it, they would have to pay a "butter tax," aka a "sin tax," to the church's building program for its building of a tower.

As a result, the bell tower that was built was called the "Butter Tower."

by: Eric77

03-05-2009 @ 9:08pm

I think you're confusing a rule with an observance. There is no rule that Christians give something up for Lent, or even observe Lent at all. That doesn't mean that it is improper for Christians to observe or go without something during this time in preparation for the celebration of Christ rising from the dead.

by: Eric77

03-05-2009 @ 9:08pm

I think you're confusing a rule with an observance. There is no rule that Christians give something up for Lent, or even observe Lent at all. That doesn't mean that it is improper for Christians to observe or go without something during this time in preparation for the celebration of Christ rising from the dead.

by: Eric77

03-05-2009 @ 9:12pm

I'm glad Jim recognizes that it's the culture that pervades our country that needs to be changed. Government policy doesn't set the culture. It's the reverse. Working to change government is fine, but in the long run it won't matter if we don't first chance the culture.

by: Eric77

03-05-2009 @ 9:12pm

I'm glad Jim recognizes that it's the culture that pervades our country that needs to be changed. Government policy doesn't set the culture. It's the reverse. Working to change government is fine, but in the long run it won't matter if we don't first chance the culture.

by: nuclearferret

03-05-2009 @ 10:21pm

Considering the $190 million that the Cardinal spent on a church, and the financial implications of his handling of sex abuse claims, he must be remarkable in being able to write about the financial woes of regular people.

by: nuclearferret

03-05-2009 @ 10:21pm

Considering the $190 million that the Cardinal spent on a church, and the financial implications of his handling of sex abuse claims, he must be remarkable in being able to write about the financial woes of regular people.