Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday. Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. What are you giving up for Lent? Do you celebrate Carnival, Mardi Gras, and Lent? How familiar are most Christians in Springfield, Missouri, with these pre-Easter traditions?

Many pre-Christian traditions were put into the tradition of the Easter season. Even the name Easter is taken from a non-Christian god. Fat Tuesday began as a traditional house cleaning of the meat and other food products that were not to be consumed during Lent. It became a party such as Mardi Gras. The non-Christian aspects of Carnival and other celebrations came from pre-Christian festivals.

Fat Tuesday is 46 days before Easter. This period of fasting and cleansing involves intentionally depriving yourself of meat, dairy, or other foods. This tradition has allowed the celebrants to give up something without fasting for the entire 46 days before Easter.

Many Christians no longer speak of Easter. They celebrate Resurrection Day. Remembering the day Jesus came back to life is more important than bunnies, chicks, eggs, and all the pagan customs that make up the Easter holiday.

Celebrating Mardi Gras or Carnival with its, sometimes, sinful activities before the celebration of the event that is crucial to Christianity seems counterproductive. If you believe that Christ has saved you from sin, why return to it?

Paul tells us that we have been buried with Christ and raised to a new life. We should not intentionally sin and expect God to forgive us. Paul says, “God forbid.” In the Old Testament, the prophets told the Israelites they should make sacrifices to pay for their sins. These sins were not to be intentional. The law was to be obeyed as much as was humanly possible. Jesus came and died because we will all miss the mark.

The sinful conduct before the season of Lent is not sanctioned by Christ even if some churches accept it. I just want all my readers to be aware of what these kinds of actions say to those who do not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with a person. This one person is perfect when no one else is. If you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, He has forgiven you for all your sins. Why would you spit in His face by returning to the debauchery of a life that He has led you away from? Anyone who promotes this type of lifestyle is lying to you.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger