Fasting, Marching, and Resurrection

It is good to be home to begin the season of Lent again with you.

Lent is a time of introspection, discipline, and preparation—a forty-day journey through wilderness spaces of the heart and soul, leading us to the cross and ultimately to resurrection. It is a time when we take stock of our lives, stripping away the distractions and comforts that keep us from being fully present to God, to ourselves, and to the world. But what does this season mean in a time of profound political and social unrest? How do we maintain our commitment to spiritual growth while also answering the urgent call to act for justice?

These are a few of the questions that have occupied my mind while I was away.

The first 50501 protests happened across the country on February 3rd while I was making my way to my dad’s in Camden Maine. These protests were a collective response to the very real threats to our democracy that the second Trump administration brings. Since that date there have been two more 50501 protests here in Salem, and dozens more across the country.  It has been good to see, even as the White House exacts loyalty tests and continues to dismantle the common good.

Dana McBrien during the February 17 50501 Protest

People ask, “Why do you bother? None of this will have an impact.” I answer, “I march and write and call because I understand that democracy is not self-sustaining—it requires engagement, sacrifice, and vigilance.  The people who engaged in earlier uprisings knew this.  I follow their lead.”  What I want to add is that activism, like Lent, demands something of us. It requires our time, our energy, our emotional and spiritual resources. It can drain us, leaving us exhausted and disillusioned if we do not find ways to sustain ourselves along the way.

Jesus himself knew this tension. His ministry was one of both deep spiritual practice and bold, public action. He frequently withdrew to pray, to fast, to commune with God in the solitude of the desert or forest, but he also confronted systems of oppression, healed the sick, fed the hungry, and turned over tables in the temple. His life was a balance of contemplation and movement, prayer and protest, stillness and action.

Lent, then, offers us a blueprint for how to engage in activism without losing ourselves. The traditional practices of Lent—fasting, prayer, almsgiving—are not just rituals to check off a list, but invitations into a rhythm that sustains us for the long haul. Fasting reminds us of our dependence on God and can be reimagined as a way to let go of things that deplete us—whether that is Amazon, doom scrolling, reactive anger, or the belief that we alone must carry the weight of the world. Prayer connects us to the source of our strength, allowing us to root our activism not in fear, but in love. And almsgiving, in its truest sense, is about the redistribution of resources, an intentional practice of justice that aligns with our vision for the world we seek to create.

As we move deeper into Lent, perhaps we can reframe our activism not as something that takes us away from the spiritual life, but as something that is deeply interwoven with it. When we march, we embody the call to love our neighbor even if they voted for Trump. When we protest, we enact the prophetic tradition of speaking truth to power without hatred in our hearts. When we advocate, we join in God’s ongoing work of justice and liberation even if we do not see the fruits of our labors in this lifetime.

But we must also remember that even Jesus took time to rest. We, too, need moments of retreat—to breathe, to lament, to hope. Lent is not only about confronting the brokenness of the world; it is also about preparing ourselves for resurrection. It reminds us that while we fight for justice, we must also cultivate joy. While we stand against oppression, we must also create spaces of belonging. While we pour ourselves out in love, we must also allow ourselves to be filled.

This Lent, let us resist the false choice between spiritual sustenance and civic engagement. Let us follow Jesus in holding both—the call to inner transformation and the demand for outer action. And as we walk this road together, may we find strength in the knowledge that resurrection is always on the horizon.

Forward Together,

Pastor Robin

Lenten Spiritual Practice Suggestions

Fasting - it is a tradition to give something up for Lent. This is a fasting of sorts. Here are some things you can fast from that will make a difference

1. Amazon - stop buying things from Amazon. If you need something delivered to you order from a local retailer and ask a neighbor to pick it up for you. You can tell them why you are doing this and it may inspire them to try it themselves!

2. 24/7 News - Pick 2 or 3 sources of journalism and give yourself one hour of reading or listening a day. Skip the opinion section, panel discussions, or punditry.

3. Sugar - Yep, sugar. This substance has a huge impact on our body and keeps our additions revved in high gear. Here is an article by Dartmouth Health that you might find interesting.

Praying - You might already be doing this but adding a few new kinds of prayers might boost the spiritual dimension of Lent for you.

1. Mindful Walking - using your regular walk as a time of prayer (regardless of how fast or slow you walk!) allows your mind to be occupied with the act of walking so your spirit can be freed up to listen differently. No headsets for this kind of walking!

2. Making Lists - create a list of people, places, and situations that you want to pray for and about. Let you mind go where it wants. I bet you will be surprised what your heart wants to pray for.

3. Mantra - find a phrase that you can repeat for 5 or 10 minutes. Here are three that you could use.  

   1. Let my voice rise for the oppressed, and my soul rest in Your presence.

   2. May my activism be rooted in love, and my spirit be sustained by grace.

   3. In movement and in stillness, let me follow the way of Christ.

Almsgiving - Traditionally understood, this was a time when people would give to the poor. While that is always a good choice, here are some ways that we can think about almsgiving as a Lenten practice that supports resistance.

1. Subscribe - There are a lot of really great alternative media outlets these days. You can subscribe to a few and help support their journalism. I like ProPublica, Democracy Now, and The Lever, just to name a few.

2. Share the Plate - Give up one latte and put that $5 in the plate on Sunday. This way of giving helps local organizations that align with our values, and it keeps your money in the community.

3. Join - Become a part of a Buy Nothing group in your neighborhood (you can find them on FaceBook). Giving your unwanted things to a neighbor is far better than giving it to Goodwill. (Did you know that the CEO of Goodwill made over $1 Million Dollars last year?)

Activism for All - Here are some things you can do even if you can't get to a march.

1. Call you elected officials, any and all of them, and let them know how you feel. Go to 5Calls.org to make it easier.

2. Write letters or postcards to your elected leaders. Handwritten letters are a particularly powerful tool in this age of email.

3. Educate yourself and others about what is happening. Being better informed helps us challenge the lies.

4. Cook for someone who is on the front lines. Too often healthy food habits get lost when people are working hard on direct actions.

5. Pray. Pray. Pray. Our prayers are a powerful force for good. Let's not leave this superpower on the side.