| Updated: 3:26 p.m.
It’s that time of year when many Christians declare that they are giving up sugar, soda, snacking, swearing or social media. Or maybe, they choose to forgo chocolate, beer or fast food.
These are typical sacrifices for Lent, the 40-day period before Easter that symbolically connects to Christ’s fasting 40 days in the wilderness and his journey to the cross.
This time around, though, many wonder: Haven’t we given up enough during this COVID-19 pandemic?
This past year of global suffering adds a new poignancy and depth to the practice of what Christians see as a time for discipline and penance.