It’s Lent and our community is engaged in our traditional Lent fast. No meat, no alcohol, and no sweets. The fast is not mandatory and over the years, people celebrate it differently. But it brings up a good question. Why would someone fast? Throughout large swathes of Christian history, fasting was both normal and expected. And when Jesus speaks of it in the Sermon on the Mount, he says, “When you fast…” not “If you fast…”
There are many good reasons to fast. But in a season of cultural turmoil, I am reminded of the long historical between of peacemaking and fasting. In order to create social change, one must confront evil and not lose themselves. This may mean not punching back when you are insulted. It may mean holding a posture of love for someone with an odious ideology. It may mean enduring whatever pushback comes upon you without falling apart. You have to remain in the spirit of Christ.
And so peacemaking requires the ability to be uncomfortable and not flee. I am not good at this. And in the era of the smart phone, it’s too easy to reach for a quick escape the second discomfort rises. But fasting is an intentional choice to be uncomfortable and not run away. It’s a choice to be hungry or anxious and realize that neither of those feelings will kill you. It’s a choice to realize that even when intense discomfort comes, you can still be okay. In your soul.
Fasting is training and preparation. An athlete runs uncomfortable laps so that they aren’t winded when the game begins. The peacemaker must learn endurance and peace in the face of discomfort if they want to take part in the renewal of all things. So that’s our challenge for the day. Enjoy being uncomfortable. You really are okay.