Why Lent Doesn't Have To Be 'Another Self Help Routine'
Ash Wednesday marks the first day of the 40-day season of Lent, during which many Christians around the world will abstain from certain foods or practices as an act of self-discipline. For some, that will mean 40 days without chocolate or Facebook while others may abstain from gossip or complaining.
But there's a deeper significance to the Lenten fast that Rev. Broderick Greer says we miss when we make it "just another self help routine." The reverend, who serves as curate at Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee, released a YouTube video on Tuesday encouraging people of faith to use the religious holiday as an opportunity for social change.
More...