Scripture: Leviticus 23:29 – “For those who do not humble themselves during that entire day shall be cut off from the people.” (NRSVue)
I had a wonderful dinner with an old friend from high school the other day during which I met his new wife. She is from Morocco, and he converted to Islam to be with her. This was a bit of a surprise to me since he told me he was an atheist shortly after he was confirmed as a Catholic.
As we were sitting in the restaurant, we had to wait for the sun to fully go down before we could eat, since they were honoring the fast of Ramadan. Traditionally, you break the fast with dates and milk, so she brought out several dates with her and asked the waiter for some milk; he was Lebanese, so he knew exactly what we were doing. Meanwhile, we couldn’t even sip our water, since the Ramadan fast means not only no food during the sunlight hours, but also nothing to drink. Once the time came and the fast was broken, she said some traditional prayers in Arabic before our food was brought out.
Although I had been to Muslim worship services before, this was a new experience for me. I thought about what kind of tremendous sacrifice it must be for Muslims in the hot and arid regions of the Middle East to not have anything to drink when Ramadan falls during the summer. And I thought about the other markers of distinction that Muslims have – pausing several times a day to pray, avoiding non-halal foods, wearing head scarves if you are a woman. These markers can draw hostile and even violent attention in a country where Islamophobia is all too common. All of these are forms of sacrifice, signs of giving something up to show your commitment to being part of a particular group.
This led me to ask myself, what kinds of sacrifices do Christians make to show that they are part of their group? Many Christians do not fast during Lent, even if the fast is just avoiding meat on Fridays. Many who consider themselves Christians do not even attend church or give to support the ministry of others. So, what are we giving up to show our commitment to God?
Perhaps one reason why so many people have turned away from Christianity is not because it is too difficult to belong, but because it is too easy. Without having to sacrifice something to prove to yourself and others, it can be very easy to reduce Christianity to just thinking the right things or making the right ideological stances in public. It is the same reason why people tend to ignore the value of free things; anything that has no cost has no true worth.
I think we need to be more cognizant of what kinds of sacrifices it will take to distinguish ourselves from our non-Christian neighbors. Is it how we dress? Is it the way we speak? Is it how we treat vulnerable people around us? How do we demonstrate to others, to God, and to ourselves that our faith is more than just words? As we move into the last weeks of Lent, think about what you are willing to do for the sake of God.
Prayer: Dear Lord, let me love you more than the comforts of the world. Amen.
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