Our pastor recently called for a 40-day fast. Not a complete fast. I don’t know many people who do that. But we can all fast something
(Lent is one of the things I like about the liturgical church—even though I grew up Baptist and have never attended a liturgical church. I know. Rabbit trail.)
As I prayed about what to fast, Isaiah 58 turned up in my reading for the day.
Go ahead and read it. I’ll wait.
Well, I was convicted.
It’s super easy to give up a meal a day or sugar or Facebook for 40 days.
But what about taking that meal I skipped to someone who’s hungry or lonely?
Or baking cookies (without scooping up a fingerful of dough) to take to a nursing home?
Or using the time I waste (Gasp! Did I just say “waste”?) on Facebook to go through my closets and pantry for good stuff from my abundance to give to those who have little?
The Jews have this strange idea that “Thy kingdom; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is more than just a prayer.*
It’s a command.
A command to “fix the world.”
What if the Church joined the Jews in fixing the world? Yes, there are many Christian organizations that do just that. They are worthy of our prayers and financial support.
But do I, as an individual, take the time, effort, and courage to even see the hurts and then do what I can to help?
Umm…not so much.
But I want to.
*The Lord’s Prayer is seen as a condensed form of The Amiday—a daily Jewish prayer.
This is a picture we took on our 2016 trip to Israel. (I say that like there’s gonna be more trips. I hope so!!!)