The purposes of fasting
By Charles Christian
Traditionally, the season of Lent is a time of deep spiritual reflection that for most Christians includes fasting.
Fasting is the act of intentionally refraining from something. Usually, this involves food, but it doesn’t have to. People can fast from social media, caffeine, chocolate or a variety of other items. Fasting is an ancient practice for various religions, and many like Christianity set aside specific times of the year to fast as a group. At the same time, individuals within religious groups may practice fasting throughout the year.
Regardless of whether one fasts as part of a commemoration on the calendar, like Lent, or chooses an individual fast as part of a personal spiritual discipline, fasting has at least two important functions.
First, it is a way of practicing the mastery of the body. We all have various cravings, and not all of these are bad. Some are actually healthy for us. However, there is always a risk of certain cravings becoming so overwhelming that they begin to interfere with other important aspects of our lives. For example, if we are spending hours on social media as an escape or compulsion, we may be taking valuable time away from our work or loved ones who want and need attention from us. So fasting is a way to intentionally pull back from things that may be distracting us from bigger purposes.
Secondly, fasting gives us an opportunity to replace ordinary parts of our day with something of deeper spiritual meaning. For instance, if a person chooses to fast one meal per day for a week, he or she can replace the time usually spent eating with extra prayer or time serving someone less fortunate. Furthermore, the money normally spent on that one meal can be donated to a worthy cause. Fasting from one area of life, even for a little while, can become a way to replace that ordinary thing with something extraordinary.
A word of caution: Consult a spiritual leader you trust and a physician before you take on certain fasts. Fasting is not meant to put health in jeopardy. Instead, it is meant to make us healthier both physically and spiritually.
