Two Things You Should Know About Fasting

Well, my journey into Lent and fasting is almost over---at least for this year. I’ve learned that there are many reasons to fast, there are different types of fasts, and that I’d rather not fast. However, two things will keep fasting as a spiritual discipline for me throughout the year:First, I’ve learned that involving my body through fasting brings a unity to my spiritual life that otherwise is missing. I tend to look at my spiritual journey as an inward process, yet what happens inside must be expressed outwardly for my journey to be a fully human experience. Fasting unites my body with my inner person in a way that complements what is happening in my mind, emotions, will, and spirit.Second, I’ve learned the necessity of scheduling a fast, but also to respond with spontaneously fasting when a sacred moment arises. “…fasting is what happens to the unified person who encounters a moment so sacred---a death, a consciousness of sin, a need to stand before God in prayer, a desire for holiness and love---that the person simply can’t eat---the moment is too sacred to indulge in food or pleasure.” --Scot McKnight in Fasting.Lent’s introduction to Easter is soon complete. What have you learned though fasting? Do you plan certain days or seasons to fast? What sacred moments have caused you to spontaneously fast?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis