Lenten Season offers students time for reflection, refreshment

As the end of the Lenten Season draws near, Christians around campus are taking time to reflect on their faith, like junior Shadoe Hanson.

Hanson began celebrating Lent last year after becoming involved with the community he found at the Luther Center. He is now a student leader there.

“It was a lot of different nudges from different directions,” he said. “I decided to start taking things more seriously after my friend died, and that was probably the biggest push.”

Last year, Hanson gave up his comfort zone for Lent. He took the forty days leading up to the celebration of Easter to accomplish this task. He started speaking up in class, meeting new people and expanding his wardrobe choices outside of his usual black attire.

To prepare for the season this year, Hanson is reading the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, but he isn’t giving up anything this year — he is simply taking the 40 days to reflect.

“It’s kind of to figure out where I fit in with the big picture,” Hanson said.

He said he is taking time to ask questions and attempting to answer them.

“I never have time to ask these questions,” Hanson said. “It’s basically ‘Who am I? How could anybody love me? What type of person is God?’”

Pastor Andy Nelson has been working at the Luther Center for three years. He said the season of Lent is about being mindful.

“It’s traditionally a time to focus on the journey that Jesus makes to the cross,” Nelson said.

He said Christians take time to remember the life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

Nelson also said those in the Lutheran church and other Protestant denominations do not focus so much on giving things up — they focus on being more mindful during this season.

Those who practice Catholicism, which is also part of the Christian faith, have a few extra practices for Lent.

Father Jeff Norfolk of the Newman Center said Catholics focus on three specific topics during Lent – prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

“I encourage the students to come up with one thing in each category,” Norfolk said.

Norfolk said students could come to the chapel to improve their prayer life, fast from something that is important to them, such as social media outlets and participate in almsgiving by filling up a rice bowl with change.

Other students at the Newman Center have given up electronics, napping and kissing their significant other. Norfolk said all of these sacrifices point the students back to their faith.

Those who practice Catholicism also practice abstaining from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and then every Friday in between those days following up to Easter. Catholics also eat smaller meals on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

“Part of that is for us to feel the hunger within us which points to the hunger for Christ,” Norfolk said.

Norfolk said abstaining from meat on Fridays allows them to eat more simply and to sacrifice eating something they enjoy.

Junior Michael Burke attends activities at the Newman Center, and said Lent is a time for refreshment.

“We live in a world where we have a lot of everything and it’s good to have time where you can sacrifice some of those things,” Burke said. “It’s refreshing to give yourself distance from having so many things, even if it’s just for 40 days.”

Burke gave up soda and potato chips for Lent and is also focusing on praying before bed. While he said it has been a struggle, he knows why he is doing it.

“Throughout the year you just get bogged down with so many things that happen throughout your life and Lent’s a time to just kind of take a step back and refocus your priorities,” Burke said.

Whether it’s giving up meat or taking time to reflect, Lent is a time to focus on why Jesus’ trek to the cross was significant, Nelson said.

“Lent is about making that journey and remembering the journey Jesus made to the cross, following him in his footsteps,” Nelson said, “and being open to hearing, again, the good news that we are beloved children of God, because of that journey that Jesus made.”

(Photo: Pastor Erik Olson conducts the ritual of communion during a Lenten service March 25 in the Luther Center. Malachi Petersen / The Volante)