How many of you have willingly gone a few hours to a few days without food? This is defined as fasting. It is an ancient practice that has religious, medical, and ethical roots. People of many religions fast to give their attention to God. Those who are undergoing surgery will fast to avoid complications during the procedure. Devout activists may go on a hunger strike for a cause to get the attention of political officials and their God. Fasting from food may not be for everyone. Exceptions are made for pregnant women, certain health conditions, and small children. Still, there are other things, habits, or luxuries we can voluntarily give up if we choose.
This year is particularly special because two major religions began their fasting observances last week. The Muslim community began its holy season of Ramadan. This is a time of prayer, fasting until sundown, and spiritual reflection for several weeks. When the time for fasting is over, it is celebrated with the holiday of Eid al Fitir, which is a feast to break the fast.
Last week also marked the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. This holy day is considered a Catholic observance, but is becoming increasingly popular in several Protestant traditions as well. Catholics and Christians attend special services and are marked with a cross of ashes on their foreheads to remind them of their mortality, and to begin a spiritual quest towards holiness and self-discipline. They do this to identify with the sufferings of Jesus as he spent 40 days in the wilderness before he prepared for his public ministry. It is a time when many in the Judeo-Christian tradition intentionally give up something they enjoy, thus showing their devotion to God and practicing restraint. Usually adults refrain from smoking, drinking or going to dances and parties. Children would give up candy, a special leisure activity, or perhaps teasing a sibling. While the intentions were good, what I usually observed of these practices was the trading of one habit for another to compensate for the loss. For example, the adults who gave up smoking and drinking might eat more or watch copious amounts of television. As I child, I remember chewing a lot of gum to replace my beloved chocolate bars (which I felt was quite a concession as a kid). This defeats the purpose of a true fast that has a sense of mission and restraint.
Last week also marked the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. This holy day is considered a Catholic observance, but is becoming increasingly popular in several Protestant traditions as well. Catholics and Christians attend special services and are marked with a cross of ashes on their foreheads to remind them of their mortality, and to begin a spiritual quest towards holiness and self-discipline. They do this to identify with the sufferings of Jesus as he spent 40 days in the wilderness before he prepared for his public ministry. It is a time when many in the Judeo-Christian tradition intentionally give up something they enjoy, thus showing their devotion to God and practicing restraint. Usually adults refrain from smoking, drinking or going to dances and parties. Children would give up candy, a special leisure activity, or perhaps teasing a sibling. While the intentions were good, what I usually observed of these practices was the trading of one habit for another to compensate for the loss. For example, the adults who gave up smoking and drinking might eat more or watch copious amounts of television. As I child, I remember chewing a lot of gum to replace my beloved chocolate bars (which I felt was quite a concession as a kid). This defeats the purpose of a true fast that has a sense of mission and restraint.
While abstaining from food makes a statement, sometimes true fasting involves breaking a habit or showing solidarity with another group. There is biblical passage in the book of Isaiah where the prophet chastised the people for their hypocrisy during proscribed times of fasting, Isaiah 58:1-14 . The prophet points out how the people go through the motions of worship while their hearts are full of greed, oppression, and other self-serving behaviors. The prophet describes a true fast as one of sharing food and worldly goods with the needy and not taking advantage of the weak and the vulnerable populations who live among them.
I have had to think hard about what is important to me and how I want to fast from the things that distract me from God and from the best purposes for my life. For example, I love to shop. For me, there is nothing better than being on the hunt for a good deal. I am also a catalog “junkie.” If I get a catalog in the mail, I pour through it several times until I almost memorize it. I love looking at pages of clothing, shoes, gifts, fine linens, almost anything. Then I find a reason to purchase said items. Perhaps someone has a birthday or there may be a special
occasion that I need to buy that dress for (you never know). However, the net result is that I have more things than I really need and less money to save or donate to worthy causes. In the past few years, I have used the season of Lent to help me fast from recreational shopping. This includes looking at catalogs and browsing online.
It is a challenge to be sure, because advertisements for clothing, jewelry, and other items just pop up on most websites. I delete them as quickly as I can, but they pop up everywhere. So, I devote more time to reading a book or doing some housework. This helps me contain the craving of buying things that I don’t really need. I also donate things that have been unused to charitable organizations, or I give them to friends who are in need (without falling into the temptation to replace those items). Little by little, I am learning to live simply and share more of what I have with others.
Fasting is not just for food. We can abstain from criticism and judgement. We can renounce using foul language when we are angry or frustrated. We can fast from indifference towards those whom we think we have little in common with, like the poor, the immigrant, the incarcerated, and so on. Dan B. Allender, a Christian counselor, wrote “Fasting from any nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit—for any season—sets the stage for God to appear… fasting is the bulimic act of ridding ourselves of our fullness to attune our senses to the mysteries that swirl in and around us.”
We live in a society where we are considered physically overfed yet spiritually undernourished. Could we practice fasting that not only benefits our bodies but also sustains our souls? I hope each person will consider that question for themselves during this holy season.
