Every spring, usually around 40 days before Easter, a highly predictable spectacle unfolds across the Swedish media landscape. As the days grow longer, our state broadcasters and major newspapers suddenly discover the profound virtues of religious asceticism, devoting themselves to what seems to be an ancient European tradition. Journalists who normally scoff at anything resembling traditional piety will dedicate pages to the physical and spiritual benefits of abstaining from food and pleasures. They offer helpful guides, respectful interviews, and glowing editorials praising the dedication required to fast. They are, of course, talking about Ramadan.
It is a fascinating paradox to observe in a country that prides itself on having liberated itself from the divine. For generations, the political and cultural elites have systematically dismantled our Christian heritage. They have relegated faith to the absolute margins of society, treating it as an embarrassing relic of an ignorant past. Openly being a devout Christian in the public sphere is to ask for ridicule, and the establishment has worked tirelessly to build a society completely devoid of religious influence. Yet, when a foreign religious practice takes center stage, this same secular elite displays a remarkable level of reverence and accommodation.
What makes this sudden infatuation so revealing is the absolute amnesia regarding our own traditions. Europe already possesses an ancient, rigorous, and profoundly beautiful season of fasting. It is a period that shaped the rhythm of our ancestors’ lives, built our cultural calendar, and formed the spiritual backbone of Western civilization. Long before we became an international experiment in radical secularism, the North was thoroughly Catholic. The Lenten fast was a natural part of every Northerner’s life; it was a physical and spiritual preparation for the Resurrection. It was a time of penance, almsgiving, and intense prayer.
Today, the very concept of this Christian fast is entirely alien to the average citizen. We have traded a demanding but life-giving faith for spiritually barren consumerism and the cult around a warlord from Mecca. The average Swede knows more about the dietary restrictions of the Islamic holy month than they do about the meaning of Ash Wednesday and the ancient practices of their forefathers.
The most embarrassing example might be our own prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, who on his social media account wrote, “Ramadan Mubarak, we say to all Swedish Muslims as the fast begins. Wishing everyone a wonderful time together with family and friends and time for reflection,” accompanied by an Islamic-themed greeting card. I would consider forgiving Kristersson, since I see the point in trying to be respectful to the traditions of his citizens, but the problem is that not a single word has been dedicated to the Christians in our country who started Lent this Wednesday, just as our Swedish ancestors did a thousand years before us. And my thoughts go to the young man who contacted me this week; he is from a Muslim family and is secretly converting to Christianity, and he desperately wants to join our pilgrimages but is afraid of the consequences he might face. What goes through the mind of this brave young man when he sees the leader of our country celebrate the same religion that wants to destroy him? How can it be anything other than betrayal?
Why is the establishment so eager to celebrate the fasting of others while treating the Christian equivalent with silent contempt? The answer lies in a deep-seated cultural self-hatred. To acknowledge Lent is to acknowledge the Christian foundation of Europe. It forces a confrontation with the history our modern institutions have spent decades trying to erase. By celebrating a foreign tradition, the secular media can enjoy a superficial sense of spirituality and virtue-signaling tolerance without ever having to submit to the moral demands of their own abandoned faith. They can praise the discipline of newcomers while continuing to view the discipline of their own forefathers as oppressive.
But the modern human heart cannot survive on secularism alone. The longing for the sacred, for sacrifice, and for meaning cannot be legislated away. People instinctively know that endless consumption leaves the soul empty. They crave discipline. They crave a higher purpose. When secular Europeans see the devotion of others, they feel a subconscious pang of jealousy for what they themselves have lost. They recognize a dedication that is entirely absent in their own relativistic worldview. And now they can either choose to go the Christian route or the Islamic route. The problem is, however, that they are bombarded with the latter, and now, a decisive time lies ahead for Sweden and the rest of Europe. But I have never seen the church so full as I did this Ash Wednesday; the people are longing for something more, and a glimpse of hope still remains that we might discover our true roots.
The solution is not to adopt the newcomers’ customs of the Middle East or to pretend that Islamic traditions can fill the void in the European soul. The solution is to dig where we stand. We must reacquaint ourselves with the ashes. We must remember the solemn words spoken by the priest this Ash Wednesday, ‘’Repent, and believe in the Gospel,’’ while reminding us that we are dust and to dust we shall return.
The Christian fast is a powerful antidote to the poison of modern indifference. It cuts through the noise of the contemporary world. It strips away our comforts and forces us to confront our own weaknesses, reminding us of our total reliance on Christ. Fasting is not only about diet; fasting is a weapon against our own pride and a way to unite our small sufferings with the ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
It is time for Europeans to stop looking outward for spiritual fulfillment and start looking at the wonderful treasures that have been hidden from us. They lie so close to us that we must only scrape the surface. We do not need to invent new rituals or borrow from other continents to find meaning. The treasury of the Church is full, waiting only for us to open it. Reclaiming the Lenten fast is a necessary step in reclaiming our true identity. It is a rebellion against the emptiness of the modern age. We must stop apologizing for our history and instead boldly live out the faith that built our civilization. We do not need Islam; we have something much better.
Reclaiming the Lenten Fast: A Sacred Return to Our True Identity in an Age of Emptiness
Holy Cross Church, Ronneby, Sweden
Bernt Fransson,Lindås, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Every spring, usually around 40 days before Easter, a highly predictable spectacle unfolds across the Swedish media landscape. As the days grow longer, our state broadcasters and major newspapers suddenly discover the profound virtues of religious asceticism, devoting themselves to what seems to be an ancient European tradition. Journalists who normally scoff at anything resembling traditional piety will dedicate pages to the physical and spiritual benefits of abstaining from food and pleasures. They offer helpful guides, respectful interviews, and glowing editorials praising the dedication required to fast. They are, of course, talking about Ramadan.
It is a fascinating paradox to observe in a country that prides itself on having liberated itself from the divine. For generations, the political and cultural elites have systematically dismantled our Christian heritage. They have relegated faith to the absolute margins of society, treating it as an embarrassing relic of an ignorant past. Openly being a devout Christian in the public sphere is to ask for ridicule, and the establishment has worked tirelessly to build a society completely devoid of religious influence. Yet, when a foreign religious practice takes center stage, this same secular elite displays a remarkable level of reverence and accommodation.
What makes this sudden infatuation so revealing is the absolute amnesia regarding our own traditions. Europe already possesses an ancient, rigorous, and profoundly beautiful season of fasting. It is a period that shaped the rhythm of our ancestors’ lives, built our cultural calendar, and formed the spiritual backbone of Western civilization. Long before we became an international experiment in radical secularism, the North was thoroughly Catholic. The Lenten fast was a natural part of every Northerner’s life; it was a physical and spiritual preparation for the Resurrection. It was a time of penance, almsgiving, and intense prayer.
Today, the very concept of this Christian fast is entirely alien to the average citizen. We have traded a demanding but life-giving faith for spiritually barren consumerism and the cult around a warlord from Mecca. The average Swede knows more about the dietary restrictions of the Islamic holy month than they do about the meaning of Ash Wednesday and the ancient practices of their forefathers.
The most embarrassing example might be our own prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, who on his social media account wrote, “Ramadan Mubarak, we say to all Swedish Muslims as the fast begins. Wishing everyone a wonderful time together with family and friends and time for reflection,” accompanied by an Islamic-themed greeting card. I would consider forgiving Kristersson, since I see the point in trying to be respectful to the traditions of his citizens, but the problem is that not a single word has been dedicated to the Christians in our country who started Lent this Wednesday, just as our Swedish ancestors did a thousand years before us. And my thoughts go to the young man who contacted me this week; he is from a Muslim family and is secretly converting to Christianity, and he desperately wants to join our pilgrimages but is afraid of the consequences he might face. What goes through the mind of this brave young man when he sees the leader of our country celebrate the same religion that wants to destroy him? How can it be anything other than betrayal?
Why is the establishment so eager to celebrate the fasting of others while treating the Christian equivalent with silent contempt? The answer lies in a deep-seated cultural self-hatred. To acknowledge Lent is to acknowledge the Christian foundation of Europe. It forces a confrontation with the history our modern institutions have spent decades trying to erase. By celebrating a foreign tradition, the secular media can enjoy a superficial sense of spirituality and virtue-signaling tolerance without ever having to submit to the moral demands of their own abandoned faith. They can praise the discipline of newcomers while continuing to view the discipline of their own forefathers as oppressive.
But the modern human heart cannot survive on secularism alone. The longing for the sacred, for sacrifice, and for meaning cannot be legislated away. People instinctively know that endless consumption leaves the soul empty. They crave discipline. They crave a higher purpose. When secular Europeans see the devotion of others, they feel a subconscious pang of jealousy for what they themselves have lost. They recognize a dedication that is entirely absent in their own relativistic worldview. And now they can either choose to go the Christian route or the Islamic route. The problem is, however, that they are bombarded with the latter, and now, a decisive time lies ahead for Sweden and the rest of Europe. But I have never seen the church so full as I did this Ash Wednesday; the people are longing for something more, and a glimpse of hope still remains that we might discover our true roots.
The solution is not to adopt the newcomers’ customs of the Middle East or to pretend that Islamic traditions can fill the void in the European soul. The solution is to dig where we stand. We must reacquaint ourselves with the ashes. We must remember the solemn words spoken by the priest this Ash Wednesday, ‘’Repent, and believe in the Gospel,’’ while reminding us that we are dust and to dust we shall return.
The Christian fast is a powerful antidote to the poison of modern indifference. It cuts through the noise of the contemporary world. It strips away our comforts and forces us to confront our own weaknesses, reminding us of our total reliance on Christ. Fasting is not only about diet; fasting is a weapon against our own pride and a way to unite our small sufferings with the ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
It is time for Europeans to stop looking outward for spiritual fulfillment and start looking at the wonderful treasures that have been hidden from us. They lie so close to us that we must only scrape the surface. We do not need to invent new rituals or borrow from other continents to find meaning. The treasury of the Church is full, waiting only for us to open it. Reclaiming the Lenten fast is a necessary step in reclaiming our true identity. It is a rebellion against the emptiness of the modern age. We must stop apologizing for our history and instead boldly live out the faith that built our civilization. We do not need Islam; we have something much better.
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