CORONATION Street fans recently observed Sophie Webster’s announcement to her parents that she has “become a Christian”.

Her parents, Sally and Kevin, have been trying hard in the storyline to understand their daughter’s new-found faith, her renewed enthusiasm for Church and abstinence from sex before she is married. In true Corrie Street style, the writers built in a humorous scene of Kevin and Sally hiding glasses of wine in a bid to convince Sophie, played by Brooke Vincent, that they had given up alcohol for Lent. It will be interesting to see how the soap continues to portray the Christian faith.

But when discussing the storyline, I was surprised to discover that some of my friends were unaware of the meaning of Lent.

Sarah grew up in a church family and attends an Evangelical church in Westbourne.

But she told me: “I’m not giving up anything for Lent because I have never had it explained to me and I don’t understand the purpose of it.”

Canon Nigel Lloyd, vicar of St Peter’s in Parkstone, explained something of the significance of Lent.

“Our lives are crowded in by so many different factors that often we have neither time for ourselves or for God,” he said.

“In such cluttered lives, our sense of vision can be destroyed, with the consequence that we no longer see clearly some of the deeper things of life.”

Nigel explained that Jesus, after the momentous experience of his baptism, got away from it all and went out into the wilderness to wrestle with what had happened to him and to get a clearer vision of where God was leading him. “Lent is part of the wider Christian year, each chapter of which helps us to identify with Jesus, so that we see the journey of his earthly life as intertwining with our own,” Nigel added.

“In Lent, we try to create a wilderness in the midst of busy lives, perhaps by giving up things in our lives. This is not much use unless it helps create space in our lives, so that we can find time to stop, to reflect and pray.”

Anthea Bell, from All Saints in Mudeford, is doing just that. She told me: “I decided this year not to give up something as I don’t seem to be able to keep that up for 40 days. Instead, I am doing an extra Lenten prayer each night.”

Father Denis Blackledge from Corpus Christie in Boscombe was in agreement.

“I prefer to tell people to give rather than give up!” he told me.

“We held a Lent family fast day yesterday and encouraged families to give what they saved in food to those worse off than themselves. “However, our Bishop, Crispian Hollis, has given up answering emails before breakfast!”