Lent Has Purpose for Nonbelievers as Well

When I was a child, my family observed the Lenten rule of not eating meat on Fridays. Our usual substitute, however, always struck me as missing the point: instead of replacing “rich” meat with “simple” fish, we would gorge ourselves at one of the nicest seafood restaurants in town.

During my teenage years I became more devout, insisting that while a lobster dinner might meet the letter of the law, a plain baloney sandwich was more in the spirit. Eventually I gave up Catholicism, and even theism, but not my fondness for Lent. Indeed, the older I get the more I crave dedicated periods for thoughtful reflection. And although I’m a nonbeliever, I often mark the first day of Lent by wearing a purple tie, or some other personal reminder, and by aiming to “give up” something for the next 40 days. It satisfies my nostalgia, and the 40-day block is more manageable and focused than a New Year’s resolution.

This year, for example, I gave up checking Facebook before 10:30 am, with the idea that I wanted to spend the first hour or so of my workday on more important pursuits. (I’ve lapsed quite a bit.) The point is not so much sacrifice as recalibration: not giving something up, so much as embracing something in its stead. You don’t need to believe in God in order to believe in the need for self-improvement — although it certainly helps to have a community, religious or otherwise, to back you up in your efforts.

Lent is not the only religious practice that still makes sense to me as an atheist. Take the Sabbath, a deliberate day of rest, which is perhaps more vital than ever in a generation that never “unplugs.” Or prayer, not in the sense of “Please God gimme,” but as quiet contemplation. Or rituals to mark birth, coming of age, marriage and death. These resonate not because of their theological underpinnings but because they satisfy deep human longings.

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