What is the point of Lent?

‘I find myself somewhat irritated with Lent. Heresy? I don’t think so. It just feels too self-focused for my liking – about what I can achieve, as if that somehow makes me more worthy of God’s love and attention. It can appear to be all about my own self-effort; works rather than faith,’ says Jenny Sanders.

I didn’t grow up in a tradition where Lent was observed.  All I knew was that some people chose to give up chocolate for 40 days, most of which they spent feeling pretty miserable. We didn’t observe pancake day in my family either; I still don’t now why. My introduction to that was at the house of my primary school friend, where multiple pans were engaged in a production line of hot goodies that were cooked, flipped and generously sprinkled with lemon and sugar before we fell on them with gusto and a fork. I was hooked, and began to wonder why we’d ignored it for so long.