Lenten Devotional (1st Week of Lent)- Judith Hamje
When I was a child during Lent my mother fasted from sweets and encouraged us kids to give up something like sweets or candy because we would have plenty of candy at the end in our Easter baskets. One year I gave up eating between meals and was righteously proud of my self discipline and even lost 6 pounds. The fasting always seemed like a subtle way to lose weight rather than as a spiritual discipline.
When I lived in Egypt for 7 years I learned about the fasting of the Muslims and Coptic Christians. Muslims abstain from food and drink and cigarette smoking from sunup to sundown for a month each year during Ramadan and end each day with great feasts . The Coptic Christians abstain from eating meat,eggs, fish and dairy during Lent and on other holy days. I fasted progressively more each Ramadan beginning with no eating or drinking during the day at work to not tempt my Muslim colleague during my first year there. The last year in Egypt I did the complete fast.
It was a cultural and self discipline not religious experience for me.
Rather than “giving up something” for Lent it seems to me that maybe we should do something to make a difference in the world. I received a letter from a Christian colleague in India with the question: what would it take today to embody one’s faith and be of service in the world?
Then she included the following list from the Mar Thoma church in Kerala south India with a different focus for fasting each week during Lent.
Feb 11 to 17, 2024
Fasting over ignorance
Envisioned as a week of “learning to avoid ignorance of the impact of climate change”
In my words “be informed.”
February 18 to 24, 2024
Fasting over electricity
Power conservation
February 25 to March 02, 2024
Fasting of food
Reduced food consumption
March 03 to 09, 2024
Fasting of extravagance
Curbing excessive spending
March 10 to 16, 2024
Fasting of plastics
Fasting from plastics
March 17 to 23, 2024
Fasting of private vehicles
Minimising private vehicle usage
March 24 to 31, 2024
Fasting of social media
Reducing social media usage and promoting direct interpersonal conversations
It seems to me that this fits right into our church mission of Love God, Live Green and Liberate All. What do you think? Will you join me?
-Judith Hamje
