Rosie French – Contributor

Amid the hustle of midterms and the first bright signs of spring, the Student Christian Movement (SCM) hosted a zine-making workshop this past Sunday to mark the beginning of the Lenten season. Students gathered in the Paterson common room with pastels, coloured pencils and a variety of collage supplies to create zines. Zines are small, handmade booklets about passion projects or niche topics, made by drawing and writing on paper that’s folded up into a booklet. 

Image courtesy of Rosie French

The SCM club was created separately from the previous Christian club at Bishop’s, and it only opened its branch at Bishop’s last year. The parent SCM, based in England, is a group of action-driven, community-based Christians that has branches in schools like Bishop’s. The club is led this year by me (a fourth-year biology student) and Grace Devitt (a fifth-year education student with a concentration in Fine Arts). The club meets monthly on Fridays in the Morris House common room to talk candidly about the bible and spiritual questions. The zine-making workshop was partly inspired by the last meeting, featuring depictions of Jesus through art history. This Sunday, students drew and wrote on their papers, ate muffins and chatted about personal goals and experiences with Lent in an open discussion.

Lent is a period of 40 days preceding Easter observed by some Christians—the season comes from the biblical story of Jesus fasting and praying in the desert, meeting the devil and resisting temptation. During these 40 days, some Christians practice spiritual discipline by changing their routine as a way to dissolve distractions from God. 

Jillian French talked about the way art and Christianity intersect for her this season. “I’ve been reading and talking to people about the way Lent often involves giving something up for 40 days. I know a lot of people who fast or give up certain foods. But Lent can also be adding something to your schedule, like a daily prayer or meditation”, she said. “I liked the idea of shifting it towards reflection and emphasizing your relationship with God. I think the practice of creating art encourages you to slow down and reflect. That’s what the club is, for me, a moment to just pause and think about my values and my relationship with spirituality.”

SCM welcomes students of all backgrounds, faiths and practices interested in discussing spirituality openly.