Saturday after Ash Wednesday

For a change, here's the Ash Wednesday homily of our friend and ConSPIRITor, the Rev. Alison Quin.  Thanks, Alison!

Fun fact:  The Muslim fast during Ramadan is based on Lent.

The Quran says that those who came before fasted, meaning Jews and Christians, and so should Muslims.  Specifically, Muslims fast to commemorate the revelation of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad.

They fast for an entire month—the month of Ramadan in the Muslim calendar. They do not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset.

Fasting, it is believed, helps one draw closer to God.  You are withdrawing from the things of this world, and turning your thoughts to God.

You are to fast, not only from food, but also from speaking ill of others, losing your temper, arguments or malicious behavior. And you are to help others whenever you can.

You are supposed to pray more during Ramadan, read through the entire Quran and give alms to those in need. 

Does this sound familiar?   The classic Lenten practices are fasting, prayer, reading Scripture and giving alms.  You are also invited to examine your life, and ask for God’s grace to help you with anything that draws you from the love of God and neighbor.

The 40 days of Lent are a time of preparation for the greatest feast of the Christian year—Jesus’ resurrection.  Easter is the day that our fear, and sin and death gave way to joy and love and life.  This is the feast of our transformation from people living in fear to people living in love. 

Our Lent practices help us to become more like Jesus,living in love with God and in love with other people.

As in Islam, the fasting and prayer, reading Scripture and giving alms are not just to heighten our awareness of God’s presence, but also to increase our compassion for others.

Muslims would agree with Isaiah that fasting does not please God if you continue to quarrel, fight, oppress your workers, speak ill and judge people. 

Like Muslims, we too are called to help others.  Isaiah spells out: 

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Some of the benefits that Muslims find in observing Ramadan include:  greater awareness of God’s presence, solidarity with people who suffer, greater self-control, helping others, a clear conscience and inner peace. 

My hope for Christians as we begin Lent is that we too will grow in awareness of God, compassion, self-control, helping others and inner peace.  In addition, I pray that we will grow closer to Jesus, and learn to look to him for help and grace in all that we do. 

Perhaps our Lenten prayer this year is to be able to see the commonality between us and those who are different from us—different faiths, different political views, different socioeconomic levels, different nationalities. 

Perhaps we could pray for unity—unity within our selves, unity with God, unity with our families and communities and nation, unity with other Christians, unity with people of other faiths, and unity with all of humanity.