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Keep A True Lent
Foreword
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[Keep A True Lent]
[Charles Fillmore's Works] [Unity on the Web Home Page]
THE CHRISTIAN world is once again observing the Lenten
season; the season of prayer and fasting that precedes the
joyous festivity of Easter. It is commonly believed that
the Lenten period has to do with the events of the forty
days preceding the Resurrection. This is an erroneous idea.
Lent is a church institution, and there is no authorization
for it anywhere in the New Testament. The idea, however,
has a sound spiritual basis; Moses, Elijah, and Jesus
Himself set a precedent for it. Each observed a forty-day
period of prayer and fasting as a preparation for spiritual
work. Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai at
the conclusion of his fast. Elijah talked with God on Mount
Horeb at the conclusion of his period of prayer and
fasting. Jesus began His great spiritual ministry at the
close of His fast in the wilderness.
The ancient Hebrew writers made a practice of using numbers
to symbolize ideas. Forty, in their minds, was a
"foursquare" number suggesting the idea of a foundation for
something to follow; an idea of completeness. So the number
forty is frequently used in the Scriptures to indicate a
completed preparation for something to follow. When we
consider Lent as a well-rounded or "completed" season of
retreat from the things of the world for the cleansing of
the mind and the recollection of the things of Spirit, it
becomes a true season of preparation
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for the glorious Eastertide; a preparation for the
resurrection of the mind from the darkness of its sins,
doubts, and false beliefs into the light of understanding.
Lent, then, is a church institution embodying an exalted
idea, the idea of cleansing and disciplining both mind and
body toward the end of making them more receptive to the
Christ ideas. Like many other religious practices it is too
often observed in letter but not in spirit.
Too many people make a fad out of Lent. It is fashionable
to give up some luxuries, and when those luxuries have to
do with food and drink it is profitable physically. There
is also psychological value in the mental discipline
involved. But such observance has nothing to do with being
a Christian; atheists could get the same benefit!
Every follower of Jesus who would keep Lent in the true
Christian spirit follows the way of prayer and fasting that
He taught His disciples. He revealed that prayer and
fasting are the sure way to spiritual power, the way to
keep the soul cleansed and purified that it may feel the
presence of God. When the disciples were unable to heal the
epileptic boy He told them that they lacked faith, that
such healings could only be brought about by prayer and
fasting.
Jesus revealed that fasting, like prayer, is a matter
between man and his Maker. He told His disciples that they
were to make no show of their fasting.
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He said, "Appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father
which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret,
shall reward thee openly." He gave the same instruction
concerning prayer. Prayer and fasting, then, are matters of
communion with God, not matters of public display. They are
transactions in mind. It is of no use to go through the
outer form if the feeling of communion with God is not
established. In abstinence from worldly things the mind
must be filled with thoughts of God, else there is no
spiritual value in fasting.
If we would "lose the bands of wickedness" we must learn to
fast from all unworthy thought and feast on the good and
the true. To observe Lent according to the spirit rather
than the letter we must fast from criticism and
condemnation and feast in brotherly love; fast from false
beliefs in sickness and weakness and feast on the truth of
God's omnipresent, perfect life; fast from false beliefs in
lack and limitation and feast on the truth of God's
bountiful good will. Ideas such as these form an excellent
basis for Lenten meditations that help establish permanent
spiritual values in heart and mind.
One of the most valuable ways of observing the Lenten
season is to fast from (loose and let go) the belief that
men or nations can stand in the way of God's good will for
man. Now is the time to affirm the power of the Christ
Spirit indwelling in all men everywhere and influencing
their thoughts, words, and actions to work for the good of
the whole. We
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all want to be of some influence in establishing world
peace. To do so we must learn to obey Paul's exhortation
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for
peace." Each one of us must be concerned with improving his
own life. We must learn to deny our selfish impulses and be
obedient to impulses of brotherly love. When we withdraw
our attention, interest, and support from the false and the
unworthy, this is true fasting. When we give that same
attention, interest, and support to the enduring good, we
are feasting on the things of the Spirit, and this is true
prayer. When we have truly fasted in the Christ way we have
increased our ability to respond to God's good will.
--Georgiana Tree West
PUBLISHER'S NOTE--Some Unity students will note that they
have previously read some of the material in "Keep A True
Lent." Some of the material in this book originally
appeared in Unity magazine and portions of it may be found
in other books by Charles Fillmore. The material was
assembled in this manner in order that this book would
offer the reader a well-rounded course of study during Lent.
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[Keep A True Lent]
[Charles Fillmore's Works] [Unity on the Web Home Page]
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