Lenten fasting

I was looking at my social ‘feed’ the other day 

and it occurred to me that 90% of what was on it was political; 

90% of it had the name of the POTUS 

either in the title or embedded somewhere in the article. 

1 person sucking up 90% of the space on ‘my’ page; 

sucking all the joy out of my world view
and all the emotional oxygen out of the room 

as I sit and read the litanies of horrors 

surrounding him and his minions 

for more frequent
and more prolonged periods of time
than I’d like to admit.

So I had to ask myself – 

is HE really the most important thing in my life?
Is he 90% of what I care about the most?

The answers – NO and Hell NO – came immediately to mind.

It was at that moment that I knew what I’d be giving up for Lent.

This isn’t an opinion piece to advocate being complacent 

or going to back to sleep while Rome burns. 

I intend to stay ‘woke’. 

I have been an engaged citizen of this country since late adolescence 

and will continue to be one. 

But I can no longer deny that I need to re-calibrate my free time.

I need less time staring at a screen – 

and more time observing the world around me -

right here, right now.

I need less sitting inside and reading – 

and more time walking outside, 

reconnecting with 

neighbors, 

nature, 

God 

and myself. 

Lessons painfully learned on the Camino 

and sadly minimized or forgotten over the past 2 years.

I need less clamoring voices in print and news bites 

and more silence and reflection.

I’m giving up Facebook for Lent, 

titrating my intake of news and the sources from which I get it. 

I honestly don’t know how this increased intentionality will play itself out on this blog… 

more images, less words, fewer posts?

I’m willing to give it time to unfold; 

to see where it leads me.

I just know I have to adjust what I consume 

– and ‘fasting’ isn’t only about food – 

although I might be doing some of that as well.

It’s for 40 days.

Taking baby steps back.