"Fast-er! Fast-er!"

"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it."--John Wesley

Dear faithful readers,

There is much to be learned about a person by observing how their spare time is spent. (I know, there is no such animal as spare time). For instance, I like landscaping; digging in the dirt, planting, planning a new bed or garden project, even weeding. Consequently, I look at landscaping everywhere I go. The neighborhood, the shopping centers, attractions such as the zoo are fascinating for me. They provide ideas and inspiration, respect for the hard work and skill of others who share my passion.

I am often caught wondering what the ideas were behind many of the works I see. I wonder if the finished work resembles the plans when begun, and how a designer may react to unforeseen obstacles. Would they doggedly plow ahead with the original plan, or allow a design to create itself along with the flow of the land it will inhabit? Does anyone else wonder these things? Does anyone else wonder what the new landscape replaced? What was it about the natural features that was so bad it had to be dug up, abandoned? Our American landscape is dotted with shrines to the Golden Arches and an assortment of Pizza Temples. The new kudzoo, the invasive species sweeping our nation, has taken over in the form of four-dollar-a-cup lattes and Frappuccinoes.

Fasting seems to be out of step with the times, a relic from another era that was less enlightened. Both in and out of the church, fasting has fallen on hard times. It has been in general disrepute for years. Occasionally it will make a comeback in the world of fad diets, but nowhere is it seen to be of any spiritual importance, nor does it possess the biblical balance the historical church awarded it.

What could account for the disregard for a subject so frequently mentioned in Scripture? Perhaps it is the constant propaganda fed us today. The menu at the Cultural Diner has convinced us that if we do not have three large meals a day, with snacks in between, we are on the verge of starvation. The popular belief at our Diner is that it is a positive virtue to satisfy every human appetite.

Fasting is obsolete. Even the attempt to fast today brings questions and remarks, ranging from the curious to the scornful. "Isn't that bad for your health?" "You won't have any strength or energy to work." "Here, eat something. You must be hungry." So much of the modern conception of fasting is utter nonsense, based upon prejudice or an improper relationship with the political hunger strikes.

The fact is, that though the body can only go a short time without air or water, it can go a great deal longer without food before having any deleterious physical effects or starvation begins. Usually about forty days. Forty days, huh? It has even been shown that persons and animals on calorie-restricted diets live up to 25% longer than those who are not. Fasting can have beneficial physical effects.

While the list of biblical figures and great Christians who fasted is a virtual Who's Who of persons we should admire, fasting is not an exclusively Christian discipline. All major religions of the world have recognized its merit. Even Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, believed in fasting. This does not make it right or even desirable, but it should give us pause to be willing to re-evaluate our assumptions concerning the discipline of fasting.

Since there are no laws to bind us, we are free to fast on any day.

Yours, ~Bill