Faith and the Environment
Lent Isn’t About Giving Up Candy
March 11, 2025
As we enter this sacred season of Lent, Christians are called to embrace a 40-day period of reflection, repentance, and preparation for Easter. During this time, we are invited to deepen our faith through prayer, fasting, and acts of service. While many associate Lent with giving up small luxuries—such as sweets, dining out, or social media—its true purpose runs much deeper. Lent is not just about making fleeting personal sacrifices; it’s about a profound reconnection with God before Easter. At its heart, Lent calls us to draw nearer to God by serving others and taking intentional actions that reflect the love and compassion of Christ.
While sacrifice and self-denial are essential, they should not be isolated acts confined to our personal choices or the comforts of our homes. True service goes beyond giving up small indulgences; it calls us to action in the world around us. This call is especially poignant this year, as we observe the Jubilee Year of Hope, a time when Pope Francis reminds us that hope is not just an abstract concept but a call to truly care for one another and lean into God’s word.
In 2025, Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” which invites us to respond to the suffering in our world—from the impacts of war in Ukraine and the Middle East, to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the urgent climate crisis. The Jubilee Year challenges us to recognize that hope comes to life when we actively care for the world and all of God’s creation. This is where our responsibility as stewards of creation comes in.
In Genesis 2:15, God gives humanity the sacred charge to “Work and Keep” the Earth. This call to stewardship is not just about protecting our environment but about honoring its Creator by caring for the world He entrusted to us. As Christians, we are reminded that our actions should reflect this responsibility, especially during Lent, when we are called to serve others and witness God’s love in tangible ways.
So, this Lent, let us not only reflect on personal sacrifice but also embrace our call to care for creation. By responding to the needs of the world — through acts of service, environmental stewardship, and active compassion — we honor God’s love and fulfill our role as caretakers of His creation.
So this Lent, I challenge fellow Christians to answer that call. Here’s how we can satisfy the ‘service’ part of Lent:
Turn away from Fast Fashion: The fashion industry is a major polluter, dumping 40 million tons of cheap clothing largely made of the plastic textile, polyester into landfills annually. Instead of buying endless new, cheap clothes this Easter, opt for second-hand or sustainable brands. It’s an easy way to reduce waste, prevent toxic pollution, and support ethical fashion. Learn more at EARTHDAY.ORG’S Fashion for the Earth Campaign.
Reject Plastic: Remember plastic pollution harms the environment and your health too, through the inhalation and ingestion of microplastics. Which is linked to cancer, heart disease, and infertility and more. Swap plastic utensils and straws for reusable options like metal straws, cloth bags, and glass containers. Learn more at EARTHDAY.ORG’S End Plastics Campaign
What’s The Beef: Beef production emits over 53 kg of greenhouse gases per kilogram — far more than poultry — and drives deforestation due to the vast amount of land required for cattle ranching. Consider giving up red meat this Lent in favor of healthier, more sustainable options like chicken and turkey, which produce less than 10 kg of emissions per kilogram. Or go vegetarian or vegan for 40 days, and see how it makes you feel?
Go Public: Cars are major emitters of pollution. If you can, try and opt for public transit or look into carpooling, or maybe try and use a bike on the weekends, not your car! Using a bike over a car just once a day can reduce your transport carbon emissions by up to 67%.
Cleanup With The Great Global Clean Up: Join our EARTH ACTION DAY campaign by organizing or participating in local clean-up events. These are about serving the environment and serving your community. Whether it’s cleaning up a park, a beach, or your own neighborhood, every piece of trash collected brings us closer to a cleaner, healthier world.
Give back to Creation with the Canopy Project: Join EARTHDAY.ORG’S global tree-planting initiative that restores ecosystems and fights climate change. By participating in tree-planting efforts or supporting the project financially, you can actively contribute to the health of the planet. This mirrors Lent’s call for renewal — not just of our hearts but of the Earth itself.
Sign On: Lent can also be a time to use your voice to advocate for positive environmental change by signing petitions that support policies to protect our planet. Here are some petitions you can sign in just a few minutes — Promote Renewable Energy and sign our Global Plastics Treaty petition — asking for cuts in plastic production.
Faith First: Consider gathering your community, church group, or local organization together to host an Earth Action Day Roundtable. It can be the magical moment that you need to come together and discuss local action to make your own community a little better! Be it cleaning up the local park, planting flowers for pollinators, advocating for bike lanes, starting an anti- single use plastic campaign or getting solar panels on the local high school roof! Meet Up, speak up and stand up for God’s creations this Lent.
Let us not just give up the things we like for Lent this year like candy, but let’s also give up the things that harm our planet. By taking action we honor Christ’s love while protecting planet Earth. Let this season be one of renewal and hope—for ourselves and the world around us.
