Take it On or Give it Up: Oxford Observes Lent

It’s a time of reflection and atonement – a time for seeking spiritual advancement and depth: Lent. And this year, the city of Oxford, along with Ole Miss, observed this 40-day period with a rare diligence and devotion.

Kick-off: Ash Wednesday

Wednesday, Feb.14, the day commonly associated with hearts and flowers and all things pink, held an additional meaning this year. Dark, smudged crosses adorned the foreheads of Lent observers worldwide as they marked Ash Wednesday, the Christian holy day that ushers in the period of Lent.

The Episcopal Reverend Kirk LaFon, who performs his duties as the chaplain of the Episcopal Church at Ole Miss, carried out the distribution of ashes to students in the Union Plaza. Students, in significant numbers, turned out to receive their ashes, a symbol of repentance and devotion.

Lent Observance and Spirituality

Flags of observance were not only raised at Oxford, but the Lent period also saw an explosion in church involvement as witnessed by Father Mark Shoffner of UM’s Catholic Campus Ministry. There was a hefty rise in footfall from usual Sundays, with more students entering St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.

Lent, a penitent period in the Christian faith, commemorates the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert. Those celebrating Lent use these 40 days to reflect on Jesus’s life and ways in which they can develop their faith. It all culminates in Easter Sunday on March 31.

The Concept of Giving Up

Often, Lent becomes synonymous with acts of sacrifice – giving up something for spiritual self-improvement. As for Father Shoffner, he has chosen to foreswear sweets this Lent, picking prayer over pleasure as his source of solace. However, he cautioned, “giving up sin is not a proper Lenten penance. You’re already not supposed to be doing the sin.”

Finding Unorthodox Ways: Digital Lent

Sacrifice isn’t the only route to observe Lent; there are alternative ways. One such method of observing Lent is the digital application Exodus 90. Apt for men, the app encourages intensive asceticism, like cold showers, abstaining from sweets, and curbing television usage.

Social media has also played its part in shaping the observance of Lent, with students expressing a interest in renouncing social applications to limit distraction and seemingly detrimental effects on productivity and refrain from numbing themselves.

Addition Rather Than Subtraction

While some see Lent as the season of sacrifice, others observe it by introducing a new discipline that adds value to their life. For some, it could be as simple as bird-watching or paying attention to nature for 10 minutes a day. Such activities were noted by the Episcopal Church at Ole Miss’s faculty adviser Kristen Walker as a potential way for individuals to step outside their comfort zone and grow.

The observance of Lent has been viewed as a season for spiritual growth and community building. The primary purpose of this sacred season is to turn observers closer to God and is an experience open to everyone.