I used to feel some measure of disdain towards people who observed Lent, the religious season that begins next Wednesday and continues for forty days until Easter. For those who gave up candy or cheese, I figured it was just a religious excuse for a diet. For those who began a particular devotional practice, I often fell back upon the words of an elementary school friend who asked me about Lent as a kid: "Why would you only do something for forty days? Don't you believe in God all year round?"
But as I've grown up in faith and in life, I've changed my mind about Lent, for at least the following five reasons:
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