A South Florida Anglican thinks

I had an interesting day today…it was a “normal” fast day for me, except that it was not normal at all…nothing really earth-shattering but still very interesting and reminded me that it’s all about the grace of God.

I hadn’t eaten dinner last night, just had a sandwich instead…not sure why, I usually make sure to have dinner the night before my fast.

I had my usual cup of coffee for breakfast on the way to work…nothing unusual there.

About a few hours before lunchtime, persons around me started snacking; later on, they started ordering lunch. Is it me, or do they do this everyday? I am sure they do but not on this level – someone was actually walking around taking orders.

Psychosomatic or real, I began to feel uncomfortably hungry. I really needed our Lord’s grace if I was going to be faithful to this fast!

The food is here and it smelled really good…think jerk chicken, et al. I had to get away, I thought, so I took a 30-min lunch break. I went to sit in my car to get away, regroup my thoughts, and recoup my strength which was flagging.

So here I go, “thank God I am away from that food, now I can have some quiet time”.

I am convinced that our Lord has a sense of humor…

I decided to continue reading a book I had started, and kept in the car. It’s called “Facing East - A Pilgrim’s Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy” by Frederica Mathewes-Green, a former Episcopalian who, along with her husband, an Episcopal priest, converted to the Orthodox faith.

In the mini-chapter entitled “Beef Stew on Friday”, I came upon these words, quoted from a hymn:

In vain do you rejoice in not eating, O soul!
For you abstain from food,
But from passions you are not purified.
If you persevere in sin, you will perform a useless fast.

Those words drew me up sharp and really got my focus.

My fast is not a test of physical endurance, but a type, a pattern, for spiritual discipline. It is a practice for fasting from sinful passions...to cease doing my work and start doing His.