Lent, Day 5: What Kind of Fast?

I’m thinking about the kinds of fasting we may choose during Lent.

The forty days of fasting in Lent mimics Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the wilderness after his baptism. The Gospels indicate that (1) Jesus was drawn into and led in the wilderness by the Spirit, where he was (2) tempted by the devil. I’ll try to unpack those two juxtaposed conceptions in an upcoming post.

So, for forty fast days (and we typically throw the six Sunday feast days in there) many of us who claim to/try to follow Jesus in an earnest way choose to fast from something we ordinarily do or consume or use.

Usually the chosen fast is something small and relatively manageable. Like chocolate (see the movie ‘Chocolat’ and you’ll discover it’s not as easy as it seems!). Sometimes it’s something more difficult. Like alcohol or smoking or fatty foods we like or social media. Pick your poison.

If you haven’t ever tried denying yourself something somewhat significant for forty days, I recommend it. See how it goes.

Who amongst us can honestly keep an even mildly chosen prohibition or fast for forty days?

Some may. Some do.

I have kept to self-selected prohibitions through Lent several times. And at the end, it has frequently felt more like a triumph of self improvement than a grace-assisted journey. I have attributed focused self-discipline to righteousness and made my Lenten victory over small vices a point of self congratulations. “I” made it!

It likely had little or nothing to do with faith. A good exercise, for sure. Good health benefits. But faith expanding? Heart purifying? Love increasing? Not likely.

Given the shallowness of those experiences, I think: if I am going to do Lent, I might as well choose to fast more deeply. Dare I fast from what it is not only difficult to fast, but what will be impossible without existential suffering and reaching out in unexplored territory of faith to finish?

I’m contemplating this today. 

Maybe I should just stick to chocolate.