Being a College Student During Lent

This blog post may only apply to a very niche group of us out there, but I trust that it’ll find the right people, considering that its primary audience will be the readers of Concordia’s student blog, who just happen to be, for the most part, students at a Lutheran college. How fitting.  

Well, it’s Lent again. And however that might make you feel, the time has come for us to take some time and reflect on Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for us, as well as our own sin and mortality. Not so joyful to think about, right? As college students, making the decision to go to church during the Lenten season can be a little harder than normal as sermon topics get a little heavier, all the songs seem to be in minor keys, and the paraments are no longer bright white, but purple or even black.  

It’s convenient, though, that Lent often lines up with the beginning of spring. Just as we grow closer and closer to the remembrance of our Savior’s death is when the trees begin to blossom, the sun comes out, and the thermometer starts to climb. It’s almost like God is reminding us to think about the restoration of life that comes both with spring and the resurrection on Easter. Lent may not be so joyful, but the anticipation of the joy that’s coming at its end can provide us peace as we wait, patient and somber.  

Okay, okay. But if we’re talking about joy, we also have to talk about giving stuff up. That’s kind of hard, isn’t it? You know, going without social media, or sugar, or something else that you like. It's a pretty typical Lenten activity for a lot of Christians, but it feels like a lot of times, we go into it with a little bit of dread and do it just because it’s tradition – or something that we feel obligated to do. And that’s not the point; not at all.  

“Giving up” something for Lent is about prioritizing God and making more time for Him in our lives. So if you give up chocolate for Lent but find yourself thinking about how much you miss chocolate all the time, you’ve just replaced one thing with another. Instead, I think we should start with the premise that we should focus on re-centering our relationship with God during Lent and allow things like giving up chocolate to follow. What you give up, though, doesn’t have to be something tangible. It could be that you give up being pessimistic, give up gossiping about others to your friends, or give up ten minutes of your “free time” in the evenings to read the Bible.  

Hey, that opens some new doors, doesn’t it?  

For college students, especially those who like having a routine, giving up something tangible can be difficult and hard to remember. But giving up something like a negative attitude in the interest of giving more of your time to God can make this Lenten season the time that you adopt a new way of thinking. Although some sources say that it takes ten weeks to form a new habit, by the end of Lent’s six weeks, you’ll be well on your way to that goal.  

Or maybe this is even the year that you’ll give up a few hours of your Wednesday evenings to attend an extra church service once per week. It might feel like a lot at first, but by the end of the season, I can assure you that it’s likely to feel like something you’ve always done. Plus, a lot of churches serve Lenten meals, which is an added bonus. And the hymns are so cool. This Lent, why not get some church soup and “give up” an hour to focus and reflect on the vastness of God’s love for you?  

It’s said regarding a lot of situations that college is a transitional period in your life – and that’s true for Lent as well. This season, make the transition toward adding in more time with God instead of focusing on what you’re giving up. Transition toward forming better habits, making an intentional effort to grow your faith, and recognizing that Lent can bring just as much joy into your life as the Easter season might. 

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