fasting

"Fasting" is one of those hyper-spiritual, scary words in the Bible. It crops up again and again. Obviously fasting plays an important role and should have its place among spiritual disciplines -- so why have I never fasted?

I have never fasted because I don't understand fasting. I imagine that in order to fast "properly" you have to be some enrobed mystic with ashes on your head. I realized today with a start that one of the reasons I don't like the idea of fasting is that I have mistakenly viewed as some kind of manipulation of God. As I hear the news updates about Chief Spence, I realize that in many ways I thought fasting was more like a hunger strike -- a way to get attention and power.

My head has known, but my heart has not understood, that fasting can help you focus on prayer -- it can be a delight, a deeper communion with God. Jesus recognized a power in fasting --  he himself fasted.

Maybe there is something especially powerful about fasting today. It runs against the grain of our culture -- a culture of endless appetites and instant gratification. Maybe I expect there to a be shortcut to growing spiritually and seeking God -- a microwavable, in-only-five-minutes-a-day option. Maybe I need to learn to wait, to focus, to shut out distractions. Maybe I need to foster a restless hunger for God, that Spring of joy and peace that is far deeper, far purer, than the shallow substitutes of this world. Instead of using fasting as manipulation, maybe it is a way to humble myself and let God change me.

Just some thoughts ...