View from the Vicarage

Moving beyond “giving up chocolate for Lent”

Visiting Ethiopia I was always amazed at the discipline of the surgeons I worked alongside.

Fasting was such a part of their culture and that of the Ethiopian orthodox church that everybody fasted for a day each week. It was hot and dry, the days in the operating theatre were long and arduous but all, irrespective of faith, fasted.

Fasting in our western culture is unpopular for a number of reasons–unless of course we need to shed a few pounds after the festive season. Lent is probably the only time when out of tradition, Christians give up something, eg alcohol or chocolate to identify with the suffering of Jesus during his passion.

Fasting is certainly not unique to the Christian faith. Muslims, Hindus and the detoxing New Agers all recommend it. Usually people fast for a specific reason or purpose. It is intentional.

So what did Jesus have to say about fasting. Jesus himself fasted in the desert at the time of his baptism and before he was to face his temptations in the desert.

He taught his disciples to fast, but persuaded them not to do it in a way that would draw attention to themselves. Make sure you continue to look well and healthy, he said, and not to look downcast with ash on your face.

For Jesus is wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ you fast you should do it this way, but rather ‘when’ you fast. Jesus assumed that his disciples would fast. But why would we fast in a sophisticated western culture? There are many reasons to fast and many examples in scripture where fasting is mentioned. I have chosen three reasons for us to consider . Sometimes we have difficult and possibly life changing decisions to make. A period of fasting to allow us time to pray or reflect–rather than to eat–brings us closer to God. Missing a meal a day for a few days may help us to see the issues more clearly. We may be approaching a crucial time in our nation or as individuals. The corona virus pandemic is such a time. Our emergence from this time of repeated lockdowns is vital. Will we be able to learn and apply lessons we have learnt to our families, communities and church life. The prophet Isaiah saw an opportunity to set his people free from the injustices that afflicted them. For him fasting as a prerequisite for this deliverance was inevitable. How many social injustices do we to seek to erase even within our own land. Politics alone cannot reverse these injustices but when the people of God are united in prayer and prepared to fast then God can and will intervene.