A Call for Valiant Politicians and an Update on Lent and Luxuries

I have been reading C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books to my children.  I think I am enjoying it more than my kids.  I love those books.  My children love the movies and my oldest loves the books.  The youngest finds them a bit long, I think.  Anyway, as we were looking at a book about Narnia, I noticed that the character Lucy was referred to as Queen Lucy the Valiant.  I like that word, “valiant”.  Not one I hear very often.  I wasn’t even sure I knew what it meant.  I looked it up.  The definitions were always something about courage or bravery but I was thinking valiant had a little different sense than that.  I kept looking and eventually found some references to courage for the sake of a good cause.  There is a sense to Valiant being something more than the courage to go bungie jumping.  Valor is courage with a purpose.  

It occurred to me that this is what I want and what is missing in our politicians these days.  They may uphold some good causes.  They may want to do what is right.  Or maybe not... but I hope this is true with at least some of them.  But they do not have the valor to do what is right if it costs them their political career.  Most often they are not even valiant enough to do what is right if it might cost them a few points in the opinion polls or a few dollars in their campaign funds.  I would like to challenge the candidates to prove me wrong.  Let’s call on the politicians: show us times when you did what was right and it hit you in your political or financial pocket book.  Prove your valor.  I dare say it is rare when there is anyone whom we could call Senator or Congressman or Congresswoman or President whomever The Valiant.  

On a different topic, I mentioned I would provide an update about what I am giving up for Lent.   As I wrote last week, I have decided to give up some luxuries for Lent.  One thing I have realized as I reflected on the many luxuries in my life is that when it comes to food, where you live determines what is a luxury.  At least this is true when one considers all the costs of an item: financial, environmental, and so on.  For example, living on a farm where we raise beef cattle, beef is not a luxury item for us.  The financial and environmental costs are lower because it is right here.   Another example might be oranges, a luxury in Kansas (when all costs are considered) and not so much in Florida.  

Therefore, it makes sense to try to give up things that don’t come from around these parts.  Admittedly, this time of year fresh vegetables would fall in this category but it doesn’t make sense to me to have a Lenten diet that is actually less healthy for me.  So, I will concentrate on eliminating things that don’t grow here any time of the year like avocados, oranges, bananas, and chocolate (it pains me to say).  As I reflected last week, food we don’t have to cook is also a luxury so I will try to limit pre-prepared foods like mixes, frozen dinners (neither of which I use much anyway), boxed cereals (gasp, sob), store-bought crackers, and I will even try to make my own bread.  Yes, I realize I will likely snarf chocolate with even more enthusiasm come Easter but that is not the point.  I am giving these things up for a time to increase my awareness of the luxuries I experience in my everyday life.  

I also have this thing about my temporary diet decisions not being a huge pain in the rear for other people.  I will not hold the rest of my family to my Lenten plan, much to the relief of my chocolate loving husband.  And, if someone else treats me to a meal I will abide by the above as much as I can in the context of their hospitality but I will consider that the feelings of my host take precedent.  

So, don’t be afraid to invite me to dinner.  


Not that I am hinting or anything. 

Letting Go Of Luxuries For Lent

Ash Wednesday is right around the corner and with it comes the beginning of Lent.  Usually, since I am no longer working as a pastor, the season of Lent sneaks up on me.  This year it has been much on my mind. I began thinking about Lent as I was pondering the multitude of luxuries we have in our lives.  In this country we enjoy so many foods, goods, and services that would be unthinkable luxuries in other parts of the world.  One that comes to mind right away is chocolate.  Chocolate, more accurately cocoa, is not a crop native to the United States.  Cocoa is grown mostly near the equator and is shipped thousands of miles before we buy it for a ridiculously low price (considering all that) and pop it in our mouths.  

This led my wandering mind to Lent, since chocolate is something people often give up for Lent.  It occurred to me that seeing chocolate as a luxury might be a decent reason to give it up for the season.  There might be some real spiritual value in considering the luxuries we have and giving some of them up for a season, recognizing the relative abundance in which we live.  It could be really powerful to get in touch with how materially blessed we are.  We might even find out that giving up some of these luxuries is doable if it might benefit our neighbors who have less.  Or maybe we will find out that some luxuries are immensely difficult to live without and find a greater appreciation for the challenges of daily life faced by many people around the world.  

As I thought more deeply about this topic I realized that luxuries are present in every aspect of my life.  My house is luxuriously large and luxuriously climate controlled by the world’s standards.  Although my wardrobe is not a priority in my life and is therefore much less luxurious than some, still I have the luxury of multiple sets of clothing enabling me to do wash less frequently and toss away clothes with holes or stains, etc.  Well, I could toss away clothes with holes.  I just realized I am writing this while wearing a sweatshirt covered in holes.   Again, clothing not a priority in my life.  But, the point is I can eventually throw this shirt away rather than carefully mending it and I have other things to wear.  I have indoor plumbing and an abundant water supply.  Luxuries.  Then there is the food.  

We have access to foods from all over the world, in any season.  We can enjoy tropical fruits in the middle of Kansas.  We can get fresh vegetables in the middle of January.  There are other exotic luxuries like the afore mentioned chocolate and the much desired coffee.  And we don’t even have to cook it ourselves.  We can eat at restaurants or have them deliver prepared food to our homes.  We can buy prepared food in boxes and cans, frozen or fresh from the deli.  Certainly all of this costs money but the cost is not too great to keep most of us from partaking with some frequency.  

This is decadent luxury.  It is worth taking a few days to let go of a few of the luxuries and ponder the injustice of a world where some can partake so greatly and others partake in starvation.  It is worth making a small sacrifice that might move us toward greater sacrifices for the sake of those in great need.  That sounds to me like a worthwhile commitment to undertake as we journey toward the cross of Good Friday.  

I think I might give something up for Lent this year.  Probably not my house, or heat, or my washing machine but there are many other options.  Stay tuned to find out what I decide... and how many times I cheat.  Strengthen my commitment by joining me in this.  What luxuries could you give up?