“Avoid Routine Fasting; Fast For A Need!”

“Avoid Routine Fasting; Fast For A Need!”
Today my mind goes back to my diploma student days at PTS Kumba(1988-1992). Two pastors from South Sudan visited the Seminary. One was freshly returned from the USA and the other was home-bred. As we shared our meals together in the refectory with these pastors I noticed that the home boy was barely nibbling at his food.
When I asked him why he barely ate his food, he told me that he was overwhelmed by the quantity of food in his plate. He said one lunch in his plate was food enough as a whole day’s meal for three people in South Sudan. Thank God even now we’ve not gotten to that point yet; even though we are gradually getting there!
When we emphasise the importance of fasting in a certain context, we are simply ignorant of the grim realities of some contexts where people experience nothing but fasting on a daily basis! Fasting is a “willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time…” either for religious, political or dietary purposes.
I’m inspired this morning to connect “fasting” with “hunger strike!” Hunger strike is “the act of refusing to eat in order to make a protest…” This is to say hunger strike like fasting happens only when there is availability of food and drink and one decides willingly not to eat or drink. Both aim for one thing – to achieve an objective either from God or from man.
Now this meal time rhyme gives us another dimension: “Some have food but cannot eat, some can eat but have no food. We have food and we can eat…”
While some are starving because they have no access to food, some are starving because illhealth hinders them from eating the food they have.
Some inquiring antagonists said to Jesus, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus gave them an answer suggesting a differentiation between routine fasting and fasting necessitated by genuine and urgent need.
The guests of the bridegroom does not fast when he is still with them. “But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast”(Lk. 5:33-36).
They will fast then because they will be missing Jesus. They will fast for his return. Fasting should have a need that is really needful!
To make the point of our fasting relevant in these dark days, let us combine fasting and hunger strike for an actionable fast!
Let us adopt a “Common Intention” that, – no matter which side or whose side we are on – let us engage on (hunger strike) fasting so that God and man should hear us and bring this carnage to a stop before we get to the point when what one person has for lunch will become a day’s meal for three people!
A fast for Jesus’ coming should be a fast to eradicate hunger, poverty, homelessness and disease! It should be a fast against torture, oppression, suppression, injustices and inequalities! Let us not fast because it is a season for fasting.
The Lord has provided us with the reason for the season’s fasting in our homeland: Fast for an end to bloodshed, wanton destruction, indiscriminate torture, barbarism, indifference, homelessness!
Prayer: Holy Spirit be our strength to fast for the above mentioned and more! Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!