Sacred Feasts
Christians are no strangers to sacred feasts –
in fact we celebrate one every time we gather around the altar for
Eucharist. It is a transcendent time of
being in communion with God, with the holy, while grounding our faith in the
tangible.
Our most sacred feast, Easter, is proceeded by
40 days of fasting, which we call Lent.
It is a period of self-reflection and devotion, usually expressed
through a “fast” of some sort. Many talk
about what they “give up” for Lent, such as chocolate or swearing. Such actions are to help us remember what we
are doing, but are only as helpful as we allow them to be.
You might be asking why I’m writing about Lent
in the middle of summer, when we are in the midst of “Ordinary Time” and Lent
does start until March 1, 2017 (mark your calendars now!). I am drawing a
connection to our season of Lent and the Muslim tradition of Ramadan, the month
of fasting offered in commemoration of the Qur’an being revealed to the prophet
Muhammad. Eid Al-Fitr celebrates the conclusion Ramadan, which started at
sundown on July 5th. So today
is a day of great significance and celebration for our Muslim brothers and
sisters.
It is import to note that while our Christian
tradition is somewhat passive about the “rules” for fasting (there are
suggestions, such as the Roman Catholic observance of no meat on Fridays, but
no definitive law) there are very clear expectations for fasting in
Ramadan. No food or drink is consumed
between sun rise to sun set – that includes water. Each night the fast is broken at an iftar, a
meal with prayers and thanksgivings.
These rules apply to all healthy adults.
If, for some reason, such as illness or pregnancy, the fasting
observance cannot be followed, then the time should be made up as soon as
possible, as it is a holy obligation.
In August 2012 when I was in Jerusalem for a pilgrimage,
it was during Ramadan. It was very hot
and our tour guide reminded us to take a sip of water every 15 minutes in order
to stay hydrated. Granted, we were not
used to the climate, but it is a healthy thing to do anyway. I was in awe of so many observant Muslims who
abstained for almost 16 hours (including our bus driver!), especially the women
who were covered from head to toe and some even in burkas. The dedication to
their faith was impressive and inspiring.
The Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity
and Islam – all have sacred feasts that commemorate important events in our
traditions. These feasts are only as
important as we make them. Many in our
society will have no idea that today is a significant day for Muslims, yet
almost everyone knows when Christmas is, because it has become so
commercialized. As observant Christians,
it incumbent on us to make our sacred feasts retain their real meaning, their
religious significance and connection to the Divine. We don’t have to borrow another traditions
observance (i.e. I am not suggesting we fast from dawn to dusk) but we need to
be dedicated to our tradition and perhaps a bit more rigorous in how we choose
to observe. It is a sacrifice and it should feel like a sacrifice. That way,
the feast is worth celebrating.
What does that sacrifice look like to you? We’ve got 238 days to figure that out. In the
meantime, I give thanks to my faithful Muslim sisters and brothers. Peace be upon them.
In Christ,
Rev. Valerie+
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