Lent & Ramadan

The Christian Calendar doesn't look like the typical 12 month calendars many of us are familiar with. While the Julian calendar begins with January, the first day of the church year is the beginning of Advent, the first Sunday in which we begin to turn towards remembering the birth of Jesus and the celebration of Christmas. Now that spring is just around the corner and the world is starting to burst into bloom, the church calendar is reminding us that we all will eventually, die. Fun!

Jokes aside, the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 18th and lasts until Easter, and during this time Christians around the world are invited to reflect on the challenges of life and faith as we walk through the stories of Jesus ministry leading to his death on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter. Some folks embrace a practice known as 'fasting' during this time where they abstain from certain foods or activities, but did you know that fasting for Lent this year puts you in some interfaith company?

From Tuesday, February 17th through Thursday, March 19th many of our Muslim neighbors will be participating in their own fast, Ramadan. The Intercultural Networks Group (ING) was founded in 1993 by Maha Elgenaidi after she felt inspired to help educate her neighbors about Islam and it's practices. On the topic of Ramadan, ING writes that, "Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate." (Source Link)

If we are fasting this season, we will experience moments of discomfort. Moments of hunger or desire for whatever it is that we have surrendered. I encourage you to take these moments to consider your neighbors, all those people who may be fasting with you, and those who suffer hunger and desire that they have not chosen. In a cultural moment that is increasingly polarized, when wars and rumors of wars swirl around us, and when it often feels that we are more divided than we have been before, acknowledging the things that unite us and bring us together is more important than ever.

If you are looking for a tangible way to help bridge the gap through conversation and relationship this Lent, I want to invite you to participate in our interfaith dialogue around the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. You can learn more at faith250.org or reach out via email at hello@mannabethlehem.com for more information. Our first session is March 8th in Allentown!

May this season draws us all into closer relationship and interdependence with God and one another. Amen.