But it’s Easter, you say; we want to talk about feasting, not fasting. OK, I agree. In fact, our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters forbid fasting the week after Easter as a sign that the long Lenten fast is over for them.

In reality, we can’t talk realistically about fasting without also understanding feasting. God commanded times of feasting in the Old Testament: the Passover, the Feast of Booths, etc. These were times when all of Israel was to make sure everyone, including the poor, had a feast to celebrate God’s goodness.

So as we are celebrating the Resurrection, let us look at fasting from the angle of feasting. Let us:

fast from complaining and feast on gratitude
fast from bad health choices and feast on healthy food and exercise
fast from gossip and feast on lifting others up
fast from hoarding and feast on generosity
fast from mindless, soul-numbing activities and entertainment and feast on creativity
fast from having to be first and feast on serving others
fast from anger and feast on forgiveness
fast from hatred and feast on love

I look forward to hearing what fast/feast ideas you will add to the list.
Blessed Easter (a seven-week celebration)