Season four of All Creatures Great and Small opens with Siegfried Farnon searching Skeldale House high and low for his pipe tobacco.
It's spring in Yorkshire, Easter Sunday is approaching, and Farnon has given up smoking for Lent. Siegfried is worried about and missing his brother, who is serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in World War II. He's grouchy, bullish, and generally unpleasant to be around.
In typical Hollywood fashion, they've made it all about him and ignored the purpose and spirit of fasting and Lent.
Fasting, whether of food, social media, coffee, or anything else, isn't about us or our suffering. It is about making room. The goal is to quiet the demands of the world. This web of distraction the world weaves around our earthly life to entangle us.
When we fast (give up) something, whether during Lent or any other time of the year, we open our spirit up to the divine. So that we may better hear and discern God's will for our lives.
Fasting is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible:
When praying or confessing sin (Deut 9:9, 18, 25-29; Dan 9:1-19; Ezra 10:6-17; Jonah 3)
In lament over death or sickness (2 Sam 1:12; 2 Sam 12:16)
When waiting on or asking for God's deliverance or guidance (Dan 6:18-24; Esth 4:13.-16; Acts13:1-5)
Just to name a few.
As we approach the cross this year (Good Friday is one month from today!) let us consider using fasting as a tool to closer identify with our Savior, who sacrificed and suffered so much.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isa 53:5)
Anything we do will only be a glimpse. But oh, what a glimpse.
Shalom.
'Fasting, whether of food, social media, coffee, or anything else, isn't about us or our suffering. It is about making room. The goal is to quiet the demands of the world.'
It's not about us. Strange that we need to continue to be reminded.
Jesus only.