"If you remove the yoke from among you,We've got a journey ahead of us, the journey of Lent. It has been going on for a few days, but the first few days are often the hardest for those observing some sort of fast. But, if you are one who eases your fast on Sunday, then the first break is near! If not, then keep on truckin'.
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday." Isaiah 58:9b-10
Many times, when we look at the Lenten fast, we think about ways that we can improve ourselves. We look inwards. We add prayer, we read the Bible, we talk to God, we take on a special diet, among other things. However, Lent is not only about our own personalities. It's about how we live with those around us. None of us are so far removed from the world that we do not interact with someone else (especially if you are reading this blog). Today's reading brings that point home. When we start to accuse others of anything, when we judge people of doing something wrong (especially in our eyes), then we start to bring a darkness around our lives. Rather than spending time with God, we distance ourselves. Rather than walking in the light, we fall behind, running towards the darkness. That's not what we want.
Now, the verses above are talking about literal things, but we can read deeper into them. It's not just the pointing of the finger or the speaking of evil that keeps us in the darkness. It's the negative thoughts. It's the jealousy. It's the anger that boils up inside of you. Instead, we should be trying to resolve these issues. One of the easiest ways of dealing with this is by leaving everything to God. We need to practice loving each other rather than dividing ourselves. When we listen, when we talk, we can learn more about each other and learn to live in harmony. It's a way for us not to get too stressed or concerned with those around us. God will deal with that.
The latter words about giving to the hungry and the needy are also things that we can take more deeply. Of course, it is always good to volunteer at the food banks and donate to charities. There are countless ways for us to donate our times. However, sometimes we will go out of our way to mend relations with people we don't know rather than resolving issues that are around us. Maybe we don't get along with that one person who used to be our friend. Maybe a political argument went astray. Maybe we haven't spoken to someone for a very long time. These can be the people that are needy as well. We should take the time during Lent to mend our relationships with those around us. Lent is not supposed to be easy, but hopefully we will be purified throughout the journey. Let's pray that we will be ready for our ministry after our fast.