Lent is complicated. It is full of big and very abstract ideas and yet it is an integral part of the Christian calendar. I recognize that not all traditions or denominations observe Lent, but for me, it was important that I took time this year to articulate what all of these “strange customs” mean in a way that not only my children, but other children could understand them. So here we go: What is Lent?
What is Lent? (for children)
Easter is when we celebrate God raising Jesus to new life after his death on a cross. It is a great day and very important to the Christian faith because it is what makes Christianity different from other religions in the world, who only believe that Jesus was a good person and not God. Before Jesus died on the cross, people had a lot to fear because they were separated from God as a result of the sin in their lives. Romans 3:23 says that everyone has sinned and is away from God. In Romans 6:23 it says that the consequence of that sin is death, but God has given us an amazing gift. On the first Easter God said, “I know that you have done wrong and it makes me sad that you have turned away from my love but Jesus has taken the world’s trouble on himself. He died and was separated from me for your sake. For you, he was cut off from my love and grace and felt my anger instead of you. Now everything is forgiven and I have made Jesus alive again, and we never have to be apart again. Jesus paid the price of your sin and dealt with death once and for all.”
This is a great gift that God has given us. We no longer have to be afraid but we mustn’t forget about this gift. Sometimes it is easy to forget when we try to make ourselves comfortable without God with new toys, or playing video games or eating sweet things. These things however, can’t really satisfy the God-hunger that is in each one of us. For this reason, during Lent (the 40 days before Easter not including Sundays), many Christians give up these comforts. They try to make room for God again. It may feel strange and uncomfortable, and we may even be sad that we can’t have what we want, but we can also feel closer to God.
I hope you all have a blessed Lenten season.
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Comment
As much as I can respect that you want to raise your children in the same faith as you, do you not think the death of Jesus is a little brutal for a child? If put in a movie it would receive an R18 rating and in 2004 the Passion of Christ which is the most biblically accurate crucifixion movie was given such a rating. By all means yeah them the non violent parts about Jesus such as the healing of the sick and feeding the hungry but please wait till she is old enough to understand such a horrible death. I was 14 when my pastor showed the Passion of Christ at our church movie night and I had serous nightmares for years after seeing it.