It's Lent. And Do You Know Where Your Jesus Tomb Is?

Oh joy. It’s that dim and long winded time of year again-the debauchery of carnival season is done. The costumes are in lock down. It’s still February, winter remains- at large and in charge and even worse, all we have to look forward to now are eight weeks of fish on Fridays, Wednesday soup suppers, and those breathtaking and exciting Lent services. Unlike the happiness of Advent, the dreary countdown to Easter is in full swing. During the holidays, I never want Advent to end. Yet this time of year, I dread Lent’s relentless start.

I mean no disrespect to the beliefs of my fellow Christians. But to be honest, I just don’t get Lent. To me, Lent appears to be the ultimate masochist’s high-holiday. The season seems best defined by lots of grief and anguish and self flagellation. Add in generous helpings of communal punishment, darkness, torture, and bat cave like ickyness, and is it any wonder church attendance drops like a brick? Who really needs to bask in a complete focus on how bad we’ve been and how much we’ve sinned and how much we totally screwed an innocent Son of God by our errant behavior?

I totally see the intent behind Lent. Think about it. In light of all we put Him through, I agree that we should be respectful, grateful, and aware of the unbelievable sacrifices offered by Christ on our behalf. But the rituals of Lent are hardly an adequate response. If we truly grasp the Easter Story, shouldn’t we be giving up a hell of a lot more than Chocolate for the eight weeks of Lent? Is that the best we can do to show our humility and gratitude in light of such divine love, forgiveness, and grace? I find myself very torn. If Jesus is real and His sacrifice is of a nature that I could never hope to be deserving of, giving up Chocolate or Hot Wheels, or Long Island Ice Teas, or anything for that matter, really doesn’t come close to making things square with the big guy.

Take it a thought further. If I was Jesus, (and trust me here, my family and my partner have no problem reminding me that I’m so not) wouldn’t I be a bit pissed if in exchange for (and in “honor”) of my ultimate sacrifice, the only thing people were willing to give up was a Mr. Goodbar and a Hershey’s Kiss? And then, on the day they celebrate my rising from the dead, they indulge in mass consumption of hollow chocolate Easter Bunnies? That honors me how?

By my thinking, if we are serious about Lent, and what was done on our behalf, we should get our ass down to volunteer at the local soup kitchen, help out a Habitat for Humanity Project, and give of our resources until it hurts. The masochist’s can even get their groove on by heading to the closest Red Cross and donating blood. Rather than giving up token pleasures, wouldn't it be more meaningful to embrace the example Christ offered. Imitating His walk rather than drowning in the totality of our indulgences seems far more respectful. I realize my approach won't please the hellfire and brimstone crowd, but maybe it might make a difference for the rest of us, especially as we long for springs lightness and warmth during these last throes of winter.

Below is a link to a documentary exploring the discovery of Christ’s Tomb. The documentary, titled "The Burial Cave of Jesus," is a jointproduction by Israeli-born Canadian documentary maker SimchaJacobovici and three-time-Oscar-winning Canadian film director JamesCameron (Titanic, The Terminator).

http://rawstory.com/news/dpa/Documentary_makers_claim_tomb_of_Je_02232007.html