7 ideas for an alternative Lent

The water was far heavier than I expected and carrying it a quarter mile, up a slight incline, each day was turning out to be a stupid idea. We hadn’t had our water cut off and the bathroom was not being renovated, I had simply set myself the challenge of collecting the water I needed each day from a friend’s house a short-ish walk away.

I wanted to do something to identify with the plight of the 703 million people (1 in 10) in the world who live without running water inside of or even close to their home and who therefore have to make a trip each morning to a water source for their survival. I was hoping the experience would move me, to stir me to compassion and action. Utilising a plastic water carrier we had stored in the loft I headed out of the house somewhat exhilarated on day one. Carrying it home was less than exhilarating. My body hurt, my hands were red raw and I felt foolish. I hadn’t been brave enough to carry the 20 litre water butt on my head so I found myself constantly trying to find a carrying position that was manageable. Sometimes I carried it in my arms like I was holding a baby hippo and at times I staggered with it between my legs and had to stop to swap hands far too often. I was concerned that slowing down would put me at greater risk of bumping into my neighbours. The thought of having to explain myself made me consider cheating by opting to use the car in the following days – but that would have defeated the object.

“Our proximity to injustice can
have a powerful impact on us.”

Our proximity to injustice can have a powerful impact on us. It’s when we make poverty personal that we are drawn into the fight for change. I’m not sure solidarity work at an arms length. Our tendency is to distance ourselves from suffering and pain. I am unsure if this is intentional and cognative or a form of sub-conscience self-preservation. Our naturally tendency towards safety and comfort means we default away from the inconvenience, chaos and cost of compassion. It is simply far easier to turn a blind eye to the issues of the broken and hurting. I remember hearing the legendary missionary to the Walled City of Hong Kong, Jackie Pullinger, share about how she actively avoided watching the news because she would feel compelled to act and respond to the plight of the suffering or feel complicit with the perpetrators of injustice.

It’s often only when we experience injustice and suffering that we feel driven to do something about it. Anyone who has welcomed home a child who breaks down in your arms after suffering at the hands of a school bully or who has been cut up on the M6 by a white Mercedes Sprinter charging up the outside lane to avoid queuing before sneaking in at the last second filling the generous gap you’ve left as your stopping distance (breathe) – will know the feelings that rise quickly within you and the demand for swift justice that consumes you. 

Most of us have given up something for Lent, maybe chocolate or social media, I even know someone who gave up complaining! But what if we used Lent as an opportunity to connect more deeply with the purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection, to redeem, restore and reconcile?  

“We all need to be stirred to pray,
to repent and to act.”

I’ve been thinking about some more meaningful acts of self denial that help us to identify with the brokenness of the world and hear the heart of the God who moves towards people in poverty and pain. Maybe it’s time to confront the comfort we often take for granted, but are out of reach for much of the world? We all need to be stirred to pray, to repent and to act. And whilst those actions may be symbolic and only a fraction of the reality that people in poverty face, they can still inspire a genuine commitment to standing alongside our brothers and sisters and advocating for justice. 

Here are some ideas:

1. Go a whole day without using soap, shampoo or deodorant.
   Around 3.6 billion people lack basic sanitation.
   Find out more
2. Do not put the light on when it gets dark tonight.
   1.18 billion people live in energy poverty despite rising electricity access.
   Find out more
3. Eat yesterdays left over’s.
   WRAP estimated that in 2021, total food waste in the UK amounted to 10.7 million tonnes.
   Find out more
4. Miss a meal during lent.
   A study published by a coalition of anti-food poverty charities finds 23 per cent of parents with children aged 18 and under skip or see someone in their household skipping a meal due to a lack of money for food.
   Find out more
5. Survive the day by using no more than 4 liters of water to wash, eat and drink.
   People in affluent countries use 10 times more water than those in poor ones.
   Find out more
6. Where the same clothes as yesterday.
   Consider the impact of fast fashion on the poorest societies.
   Find out more
7. Switch off the internet.
   Consider the 37% of the world’s population with little or no internet connectivity.
   Find out more

Get in touch and let us know how you get on!