Lent is right around the corner, starting this week, and many folks engage with these 40 days as a spiritual practice. Sometimes folks give something up, making this season of fasting into almost a diet craze. Not the way I like to approach my spiritual practices.
No, Lent is not a diet. But it can be a time for reflection and trying to turn away from the distractions that may help us stay numb and avoiding the work before us. And here is a book that I found perfect for this purpose last year, as a daily devotional to read each day of Lent: Good Enough by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. The reflections explore what is good and true when we are soaked in a culture of self-improvement and perfectionism, effecting even our understanding of spiritual and religious truths. There are reflection questions to engage with and practice suggestions for bringing the ideas into your life, as well.
The theological perspective is Christian, but I found it still accessible. And of course, Lent is a Christian spiritual practice. But for those of us with a more eclectic or interfaith practice, I’d still recommend this book.
I’m not sure I’m going to find a good book for this year’s practice in time, but we’ll see. I also plan on trying to give something up – selflessness. Stay tuned.