Sunday, April 28, 2013

Why Fast?


 Matthew 6:16
Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."



Jesus did not say if you fast... he said "whenever" you fast.  He fully expected us to follow His example and fast.  In fact, Jesus says, as recorded in St. Mark chapter 6, that some things may not be accomplished except by prayer & fasting.

So why don't all Christians fast?

I've had conversations with Christians from different denominations on this topic, even people from different belief systems.   Did you know that atheists sometimes maintain a fast?  Satanists are familiar with fasting, not only as a means of detoxing the body, but as a "spiritual enhancement" in connection with their rituals.  Ramadan is one of the major fasting periods for Muslims.  

So, with people of many faiths observing a fast, why does it seem illusory to many Christians?  

"What is so different about the Christian fast?  And, why should we deny ourselves anyway?  I don't see how that gets me any closer to God", I hear people say.


Matthew 16:24  
"Then said Jesus unto His disciples,  if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. "
...emphasis mine.


Fr. Olaf, our priest, has said on more than one occasion that the first sin in the garden of Eden centered around pleasing the palate.  How fitting is it, then, for us to exert some struggle in disciplining this need, which for a lot of us becomes an indulgence every time we sit down to a meal.



Some things I've learned about fasting:

-  Every day I eat way more than my body requires to function. 
An average day for me includes a breakfast of fruit, bagel or a bowl of cold cereal.  Lunch might be a sandwich (PB & J!) , granola bar, yogurt and water.  Dinner may be a salad with spaghetti and bread.  And, considering that I'm not an athlete needing to consume x amount of calories per day, my intake is more than I need.


- Fasting, for the Christian, must include a focus on prayer and reading the Scriptures.  Otherwise, it's just a body detox or a requirement for blood work... or a recipe for grumpiness.  Fasting includes mental exercise, a training of our thoughts and focused nourishment.  


- Denying yourself palatal pleasures has spiritual rewards.
When spending a day in fasting and prayer, the intensity of the passions are subdued.   Whether you are consumed with anger, fear, resentment, bitterness, pride, jealousy...all the many pleasures and weapons of demons are shattered by prayer & fasting.


- I feel better physically, mentally and spiritually when I fast.
Once I get over that hump, that intense desire for chocolate or carbs or my favorite burger from Wendy's, I know I'll make it.  That intense desire DOES go away.  When I feel hungry, I've started asking myself, "do you want to eat an apple? a carrot?"  If not, then I'm not truly hungry, I just have a desire to please my palate.


-Fasting nourishes the new man.
St. Paul talks about the "new man" in his epistle to the Colossians (chapter 3) as compared to the "old man" and his deeds such as blasphemy, anger, wrath, and malice.  When we continually indulge in everything the flesh desires, whether it be food, tv, sex, drugs, money... we are nourishing the old man and remain weak spiritual infants.  Fasting, on the other hand, closes the door to passions so that the spiritual, or "new man" can become stronger.


-I've learned not to give up on a fast just because I slip up.
Occasionally giving into temptation is no reason to abandon a fast altogether.  The saints fall down, they get up, they fall down, they get up...
We must always begin again. 





Monday, April 22, 2013

A Thought on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

With all the headlines and discussions on the Boston Marathon bombings, the joy in capturing someone dangerous to humanity, the speculation about the legal battle to follow... all the many questions we Americans have, I'm finding myself contemplating one thing: 

Does the saving of a soul save multitudes?

I'm finding myself praying for the salvation of this young man, believed to have wrought such wickedness, alongside my prayers for the victims of devastation.    Now, lest you think I'm showing softness and mercy where none is due, consider this: 

If it's true that this wicked event was played out because of radical Islamic belief, what can we do to dismantle that power?   If Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces the death penalty, do we give radical Islam another martyr to fuel their fire?    What happens to people at large when the heart of a militant Muslim converts to Christ?


By the power of Christ, hearts can be remade... we see evidence of that in the former murderer, St. Paul.  We see it in the conversion of Roman soldiers who witnessed the miracles of Christ, people who were formerly wicked and without concern for life.  

What happens in the militant Islamic world when one of their own converts to Christ and follows his commandments?  What would happen if nurses and doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center show an uncommon love of Christ in their care of this man?  How interesting to note that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's life is in the hands of an institution founded by Christian and Jewish brothers & sisters...

My prayers are for the mercy of God to grant healing to the mind, body and soul of all those who are injured in Boston, for comfort & peace for the families who lost a loved one that day...

and for the salvation of Dzhokhar Tsamaev, believing always that
 the power of God is greater than the power of wickedness.






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