You make that t-shirt with the Merton quote and I will buy it. Also, can't wait for the podcast. Y'all got a lot of degrees between the two of you, so this is gonna be smart! Like you, I've chosen to "take on" rather than "give up" over Lent. Every day, for 40 days, I am going to call someone I haven't talked to in a while, in some cases years. Although I reckon that, in a sense, this is "giving up" something since my intention is that, by these daily conversations, I will be reminded of how dependent I am on love and connection, even with people who've fallen away in my life. My hope is that every conversation puts another ding in my armor of (false) self-sufficiency.
First, I'm looking FORWARD to the podcast. That's cool.
Second, yes, something about the Lent seasn has always kinda bothered me personally ... and I think you're line about "As soon as I start to give something up I want it 10x more. Giving stuff up isn’t good for me" made me think about the ways I can over-validate things by fighting them or by denying myself or sacrificing. It can easily, easily make the thing about the fight, the denial, the sacrifice. Which, for me, isn't good (i.e., healthy).
Lent is Not About Giving Up Gluten
You make that t-shirt with the Merton quote and I will buy it. Also, can't wait for the podcast. Y'all got a lot of degrees between the two of you, so this is gonna be smart! Like you, I've chosen to "take on" rather than "give up" over Lent. Every day, for 40 days, I am going to call someone I haven't talked to in a while, in some cases years. Although I reckon that, in a sense, this is "giving up" something since my intention is that, by these daily conversations, I will be reminded of how dependent I am on love and connection, even with people who've fallen away in my life. My hope is that every conversation puts another ding in my armor of (false) self-sufficiency.
First, I'm looking FORWARD to the podcast. That's cool.
Second, yes, something about the Lent seasn has always kinda bothered me personally ... and I think you're line about "As soon as I start to give something up I want it 10x more. Giving stuff up isn’t good for me" made me think about the ways I can over-validate things by fighting them or by denying myself or sacrificing. It can easily, easily make the thing about the fight, the denial, the sacrifice. Which, for me, isn't good (i.e., healthy).
Thanks for writing,