"Hungry" | Reflection by Will Oxford

I do not think I ever honestly thought about how much food has played into my experiences with Lent, until I chose the word “hungry” for this reflection.  I think as a child I knew Lent was the forty days leading up to Easter, and we were tasked with giving something up for those forty days.  Whether it was because of those around me, or it just seemed convenient, my Lenten discipline usually involved giving up some sort of food.  I remember giving up chocolate, dairy, meat and even sweet tea! *GASP*

This year my relationship with food is a bit different.  After recently having recovered from COVID-19, I am still left without my sense of taste.  Therefore, I’m thinking a lot about how the word “hungry” relates to me in 2021’s version of Lent.  During my quarantine, I do not think I could have been any further away from the feeling of hunger. Thanks to the generosity of friends, coworkers, parishioners and others I was able to have a full fridge and pantry.

Choosing a food related discipline this year does not feel quite right. So instead, while I am figuring out what I’ll be giving up or taking on, I’m going to make sure that every time I open the fridge, I reflect on all those that made sure I didn’t go hungry.

Words in the Wilderness - Walk through the season of Lent with Trinity, one word at a time. Every day (except on Sundays) we will post a photo and a brief refection written by someone in our Trinity community. https://www.trinitynewhaven.org/words-in-the-wilderness