From the First Lesson for this day, Jeremiah 7:21-28
I have a love-hate relationship with Lent. As it approaches in a few days, I am again faced with this relationship.
Every year I make overly ambitious vows - no meat, no TV, no Facebook, no this, no that. I've tried fasting Orthodox style - nearly vegan (since I don't like seafood) - to no avail. I've tried fasting Catholic style - no meat, skip a meal once a day, Sundays are a day off, etc., again with no success. I've tried Lenten fasting Protestant style - give up whatever you want (especially chocolate) and don't worry about it if you fudge a little because Lent's a Catholic thing anyhow.
In Lent, I make overly ambitious promises - read extra from my Bible every day, spend more time in prayer each day, take on a service project or cause for extra giving.
Today's reading is a challenge, in a good way. Through Jeremiah, the Lord says, in essence, "If you're not fasting from your heart, keep on eating."
"Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying , Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
I'd like to think that in all my efforts to give up things and take on things were from the heart. But I confess that they're not.
Most of the time my Lenten fasts - and failed fasts - have been to meet some unrealistic standard of what I think a fast ought to be.
Thing is, when the people wouldn't hearken to Jeremiah's words, there were consequences - matters of the heart: "This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished , and is cut off from their mouth."
Dealing with the Lord and fasting truly is a matter of Truth.
Just like the stomach, a heart without discipline will snack its way to poor health. Without truth little lies find their way in: "it's OK to watch a little TV even if you're not supposed to watch any."
Refusing the Truth happens the same way: accepting some things in God's Word and not all of it; believing that God can forgive yet denying His means of forgiveness; knowing that the Church includes all Christians yet claiming a special corner of Heaven "just for us."
A lack of Truth leads to a lack of real life. Pretending. Imagining. Not coping with the realities of sin, redepemtion, regeneration and forgiveness. Faith becomes a day dream and the Christian life becomes a pollyanna path.
Fasting with the heart turns this around.
Bringing the heart to Christian discipline means that fasting isn't a matter of doing or not doing - pie crust promises (easily made, easily broken). Fasting from the heart is like being in love. It's inexplicable: it's easy to follow the one I love because my heart is in it.
So it is with fasting: it's easy to follow Christ, Whom I love, when my heart is in it.
I pray for a heart-felt Lent this year. A fast in which my heart follows the way of Truth.
