Today is Ash Wednesday on the Christian calendar and popular belief around the Internet seems to mark this as a Catholic observation, but it really has nothing to do with Catholicism other than the fact that many Catholics observe Ash Wednesday and Lent. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, which is 46 days before Easter (40 days if you do not include Sunday’s), and typically the ritual is to give up something for Lent. The common trend online as of late seems to be for high profile online personalities to give up their blogs, twitter, facebook, and whatever online area that takes up their time.
Depending on your situation and circumstances this may be a good thing if and when it is done for the right reasons, but I suddenly got a pressing feeling that because they did this, others should follow. As I read the details of each individual’s reasons I do understand why each person who chose this for their online life, but what if the online world has now become a way of life, and not something that distracts from life? To take it a step farther. A sin in one person’s life is not necessarily a sin in another person’s life. So where someone may be consumed by their online lifestyle, and that lifestyle leads them away from the Lord, others may thrive in that area and be brought even closer through those relationships and interactions.
So if we, you, me find it necessary to give up something for Lent, why not just do it instead of making an issue out of giving up whatever it is. If it is something you can give up so you can focus that time on the Lord, great, but if you are giving up something for Lent because it is Lent for Lent’s sake, have a Snickers while watching Amercian Idol and forget about it.
3 responses to “Giving Up Social Networking for Lent on Ash Wednesday”
True. I think people take it to far with the fasting the internet or video games. You are supposed to fast something you actually need in life. Thats why you see people in the bible fasting food and water so much, and sometimes everything (like Jesus)…
I read a book on it one time, by Richard Foster. It was really good to learn about the right kind of fasting, of old times. It is called a “Celebration of Discipline”.
Completely agree with you, the community you are apart of shouldn’t be something that you fast, but if you are addicted and it takes away from your relationship with God, then it shouldn’t be something you fast, but something you just simply stop for a period of time to focus on God, and then come back with a new mind and find a balance in.
Thanks for the post,
Stephen
Stephen Stonestreets last blog post..Jedidiah
True. I think people take it to far with the fasting the internet or video games. You are supposed to fast something you actually need in life. Thats why you see people in the bible fasting food and water so much, and sometimes everything (like Jesus)…
I read a book on it one time, by Richard Foster. It was really good to learn about the right kind of fasting, of old times. It is called a “Celebration of Discipline”.
Completely agree with you, the community you are apart of shouldn’t be something that you fast, but if you are addicted and it takes away from your relationship with God, then it shouldn’t be something you fast, but something you just simply stop for a period of time to focus on God, and then come back with a new mind and find a balance in.
Thanks for the post,
Stephen
Stephen Stonestreets last blog post..Jedidiah
I give up something in particular every year for lent. I don’t do it so that I can focus “that” time on spent doing something else on Him, rather it gives me a constant reminder throughout the day why I did what I did. For me that brings things a little closer.
I look at this as a way to for me to be reminded each and everyday what this time of year means. Daily little second prayers and actions – all day long.
Michaels last blog post..Dear God