Fasting for Lent, Part 4: Traditions Kept, Traditions Lost

After tracing what fasting and abstinence has looked like through the history of Christianity, I think we can agree that fasting and abstinence used to be a lot stricter than it is today for most Christian denominations. The earliest Lents involved a fast often called the Black Fast, where no food or drink was consumed until sundown and no animal products were consumed whatsoever, for all the days of Lent. This raises some interesting questions. Which Christians today still fast the same way the earliest Christians did? Which Christians have done away with fasting and abstinence entirely? Who, if anyone, is "doing it right"?

In answer to the first question, there appear to be a few communities that typically observe the Black Fast during Lent today: The Copts and Saint Thomas Christians. These are most common in Egypt (where the Coptic Orthodox and Coptic Catholic churches are based) and India (where many Christians trace their religious heritage to the missionary work of St. Thomas the Apostle). These are a mixture of Oriental Orthodox churches, which split from the rest of Christianity after the Council of Chalcedon in 451, and Eastern Catholic churches which are basically composed of former Orthodox Christians who have reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church. All these still refrain from eating and drinking until late afternoon or evening, when they eat one vegan meal, and they do this for a large portion of Lent if not all 40 days.

Meanwhile, Lent itself is not observed by some other Christians, such as Baptists, "non-denominational Christians", and others that don't have ritual and ecclesial structure. While these Christians consider the Bible to be the highest authority on what Christian life should look like, and the Bible recommends fasting in many places, few seem to take the initiative to fast or abstain from meat very often if they do at all. Other Protestant denominations, such as Lutheranism, will observe Lent but not oblige anyone to fast or abstain, instead making it a personal choice. All this makes it so that here in the United States (where a mixture of Protestant denominations and non-religious people are the majority), Catholics stand out for abstaining from meat on Fridays and having a cross-shaped ash mark on their foreheads when Lent begins.

The overall point of Lent is to prepare for Easter by considering the Passion and denying ourselves pleasures we would enjoy otherwise, so that by doing so we might have more time and resources for prayer and almsgiving. That way, we are more ready to celebrate Easter, arguably the most important Christian holiday of the year. Therefore, while I'm not going to say one Christian denomination currently has the best form of Lenten fasting or abstinence, I would say there are some standards to keep in mind. Let's start with fasting. Assuming you're a Christian who observes Lent, do you ever have a day or more when you skip a meal or two on purpose, or at least eat less-than-filling meals or less expensive food? The time you take for eating a meal can be used for prayer or Bible reading, and the money you might spend on expensive food or large portions can be used for donations to charities or people you meet in person who could use some help. If you don't observe Lent, at least fast on Good Friday, remembering how Jesus ate nothing (as far as we know) between the Agony in the Garden and the Crucifixion. As for abstinence, considering how meat was regarded as a feast food in the ancient Mediterranean world, do you ever have a day or more when you decide to have less-than-delicious food on purpose? You might not necessarily have to skip meat unless your denomination requires it, but at least have Lent be a time when you never eat your favorite foods. Again, if you don't observe Lent, at least skip enjoying delicious foods or drinks on Good Friday, remembering how Jesus was only offered bitter gall and vinegar or cheap wine.

After all these considerations, and the long history behind Lent and its associated customs, I think it's clear that all Christians are called to do some kind of self-denial before Easter. Whether that looks like a rigorous Black Fast as the early Christians did, or just feeling less than satisfied when eating meals both in portions and tastes, it's a very good idea to fast and abstain for some length of time before Easter, and if the minimum requirements in your denomination feel too easy, I would encourage you to go beyond those. God will appreciate it, the poor will appreciate it, and you yourself will appreciate it because you'll be more ready for Easter (and all the nice things that go with Easter that you gave up before).