Feasting & Fasting



Christianity is a religion of paradox. Space does not allow me to point all these paradoxes but here are a few:

- You find your life by losing it
- The day that your Savior dies a brutal and unjust death is titled retrospectively Good Friday
- Greatest saint in history was first an enemy of the Gospel and called himself the "Chief of Sinners"
- Central teaching is to love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you
- Extols both feasting and fasting

Without Jesus in the middle of all of this, it would look like a human mess of contradiction. I mean am I supposed to enjoy myself at the table or pass? The correct answer is both, not an either/or. Both practices inform the other. Want to enjoy your food intentionally and with greater thankfulness, do without on occasion. A piece of plain bread with butter becomes an wondrous experience.

Last Sunday I was out for lunch with some church amigos. We has just toured a exhibit about the needs of the suffering world through a ministry called Hope International. It was a bit of an eye opener to read that the average life expectancy in Afghanistan was at earlier age than yours truly. Enough food and safe water are major issues in the developing world and Hope International endeavors to inculcate self-sufficiency with micro-loans. A hand-up rather a hand-out.   

One of the conversations over lunch and a hot spicy bowl of Vietnamese goodness (above) was how drinking beer and other alcoholic spirits in moderation is not just tolerated in the Bible but is considered a gift of God. Like any gift, food and drink can be abused, overly-indulged in, where the goodness becomes badness, due to a lack of discretion. You know who appreciates food the least? The glutton. Beer? The alcoholic. Sex? The porn addict. 

Like a brat of a kid who breaks his toys soon after Christmas ends through reckless unappreciation, the over-indulger destroys through ingratitude.

As I slurped down the bowl of fiery goodness, I thanked Jesus that his goodness was in the bowl.


  

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