Fasting helps to give us balance. It makes us more keenly sensitive to the whole of life, so that we do not become obsessed with our consumer mentality. It is something of an inner alarm to help us hold our priorities straight, to give us a sense of spiritual sensitivity… For example, there is a great need today to learn to fast from people. Most of us have a tendency to devour others, and usually we get severe heartburn from it. I suggest that we experience times of fasting from people not because we are antisocial, but precisely because we love people intently and when we are with them we want to be able to do them good, and not harm. Thomas Merton said, “It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers… Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not what they say.”
How often I find myself in this consumer mentality around people! I want people to talk to, to empathize, or to validate me, make me feel significant, or to give me love, affection…. I want I want I want. What good is this for me or the other person if this is all that drives me? There is wisdom here for me, who often turns to people as a crutch. Fasting gives balance and increases significance. After fasting, the food abstained from is sweeter, more delicious. The contrast of the lack heightens the pleasure. The lack also reveals the weaknesses, the places that need healing or growth that have been hidden by a filling of something….be it with food, entertainment, pleasure, feelings, distractions, or for me, with people.
I love the Merton quote here. We love one another for each of us is made in the image of God. We love one another for each other’s uniqueness. For each other’s beauty. For each other’s hearts and minds. For the reflection they give us of Christ. This is what man is. We love one another for increasing our capacity to love God, to love the good and the true and beautiful… an increase that must flow from more than mere words. What do the words “I love you” mean if they are separated from the quiddity of the person saying them, or the quintessence of love qua love? They disperse into thin air, dead, without the what-ness. The love of Christ is a what-ness. It is an action, a sacrifice, and it holds for eternity.
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I was sitting in my friend Will's office this afternoon reading a portion out of Bonhoeffer's "Life Together." He spoke of something much like this (albeit dealing with a different subject).
In essence, our times of solitude allow us to focus on our singular identity -- to find its truth. This, in turn, feeds into the community, where our lessons, and service, and passions should naturally overflow. Likewise, time in the community gives us encouragement and strength and hope for those times where we all fight our personal battles.
The same goes for fasting. The lessons we should learn, through indulgence or withholding, should benefit us personally and corporately.
We must, of course, temper our fasting, whatever it is from, with wisdom and balance. There is danger in both too-much, and too-little, of anything.
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