By Bishop Durrell Watkins, D.Min.

Ramadan is a month of fasting and prayer for Muslims. Ramadan commemorates Muhammad’s revelation that he would become a messenger of God. Like Easter and Passover, it is a moveable feast occurring at different times each year. 

March 5  is Ash Wednesday this year, the first day of Lent. Christians observe Ash Wednesday by being marked with ashes from the previous year’s burned Palm Sunday branches. The Ashes are a reminder of our mortality, but Ash Wednesday begins the Season that leads to Easter’s message of new life and on-going renewal.  

Lent is a 40-day Season that lasts 46 days; that is because Sundays are always a celebration of Resurrection possibilities and are not, therefore, counted as part of Lent. Every Sunday offers a little Easter. 

Worship, prayer, study, and generosity are the traditional ways of observing Lent. Some people add fasting (eating less or giving up something enjoyable for a time…I for one give a hard pass to the fasting bit).  

Both Ramadan and Lent offer a period of dedication and devotion. We could do that as the LGBTQ community whether we are religious or not. We might set aside time to appreciate our gifts as LGBTQ people and to find ways to support one another more intentionally and consistently. Maybe that’s the real point of Ramadan and Lent: to remind us to be our best. 

Bishop Durrell Watkins, D.Min., is the Senior Minister of Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale and an Auxiliary Bishop for the Global Justice Institute. SunshineCathedral.org