Message from Chris Lockley
The film Chocolat is set in a
small French village in the
1950s, a village characterised
by order, tranquillity and
predictability – and strict
morals.
discipleship practice. The Lent
Event, which grew out of a
congregation in Sydney’s west
to become a national project,
goes beyond the superficial
observance and encourages
giving up something for Lent
As the village begins its
while redirecting the money we
preparation for Lent, with its
would otherwise spend to
accompanying practices of self- justice projects through Uniting
denial, a new arrival enters the World.
village: a young woman intent
on opening a chocolate shop.
While Lent Event and projects
This free spirit shatters the
like it are to be commended,
tranquillity of the village, her
the practice of giving up
chocolates representing an
something for Lent in itself is
indulgent threat to the Lenten incomplete, and only the
disciplines imposed by the
beginning of what could be a
powerful mayor. Two extremes significant time of spiritual
are set in conflict with each
renewal. Instead of giving
other.
something up, I encourage
people to let go of something to
The chocolate shop becomes
make space for something more
more and more a place of
life-giving and transformative.
community, compassion joy
In other words, don’t give
and hope, while the church
something up without also
reinforces its denial of joy and embracing something new and
enthusiasm. By the end of the helpful.
film by sides of the conflict
come to realise the need for the Research has shown that it
other. The mayor discovers that takes 6 weeks to create a new
a stern spirituality devoid of
habit. If we want to eat more
joy and life suppresses the
healthily, it will take about 6
human spirit. On the other
weeks for a new dietary regime
hand, the free spirited
to settle in. If we want to
chocolatier learns the wisdom develop a new hobby, practise
of stability and putting down
a deeper prayer life, or a more
roots. Both extremes needed
vigorous approach to spiritual
the other.
reading or study it will take
about 6 weeks for that new
In recent years it has become
practice to become habitual, an
more common in Protestant
integrated part of our life.
circles to adopt the ancient
practice of giving something up Coincidentally, Lent is 6 weeks
for Lent. Sometimes this is
long! That makes it a great time
trivialised – giving up
to embrace some new spiritual
chocolate, for example, may be discipline or practise.
good for one’s health but by
itself doesn’t promote a
My New Testament lecturer in
healthier spiritual life or
my theological college days
St Margaret’s News
4
was Dr. Bob Maddox: a
brilliant scholar, internationally
recognised for his work in
Luke-Acts. Tragically Bob
developed a brain tumour at a
relatively young age which
eventually took his life. In
deciding what to do with his
last months, he turned to
scripture, in particular the fruit
of the Spirit in Galatians 5: 2223. After listing the works of
the flesh which we should
“give up”, Paul then lists the
new things we should take up
and embrace: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control.
During his final months Bob
Maddox decided to spend each
day focussing on one of the
fruit of the Spirit as much as
possible – both seeking a
deeper understanding of it and
putting it into practise as much
as possible. One day he would
give his attention to kindness,
the next day, generosity, the
next, faithfulness and so on. At
the end of 9 days, he would
start over again. That was how
he wanted to finish his days in
this life.
Give something up for Lent if
you really want to – but don’t
expect the ‘giving up’ will
achieve much in itself. The
truly transformative experience
comes through taking on board
some new practice that deepens
our spirit-life connections.
Shalom/salaam,
Chris.
February 2015