A Christian Fasts for Ramadan

A quick safety note before I get started - please do not fast if you are pregnant, ill, diabetic, at risk for eating disorders, are young or old enough to require a consistent diet, or have any other condition in which disrupting or minimizing your food intake could be harmful. Before undertaking any fast, it is wise to consult a doctor or nutritionist who has experience with the unique health considerations inherent in fasting. Thank you.

I'm a Protestant seminary student, and currently, for the second year in a row, I am carrying out a fast inspired by the Muslim fast during Ramadan. (I phrase it this way out of respect for the full depth of the Muslim significance of Ramadan, of which I am naturally not a partaker, and for my own faith, since I am observing my fast out of devotion to Jesus Christ, not Allah.) It is a fascinating and beautiful experience and one which I'd recommend to my Christian friends - with some qualifications - as a great way to develop spiritual sensitivity and closeness with God. It is a time to take account of my life, re-align my priorities with God's, and enjoy a heightened spiritual focus.

The Muslim observance of Ramadan goes beyond just fasting. They abstain from food, drink, sexual intercourse, and personal bad habits from dawn to dusk every day for the lunar month of Ramadan. In addition to this, Ramadan is seen as a time of special favor, and many Muslims attend additional services at the mosque, spend extra time reciting the Qur'an, and pay special attention to personal holiness, the restoration and deepening of relationships, and care for the needy. Various nights during the month are considered to have special significance and are commemorated in special ways.

As a Christian inclined toward spiritual disciplines and the contemplative life, I felt called to a parallel fast last year, and found it beneficial enough that I've decided to do it again this year. From dawn to dusk I do not eat or drink, and I recite five Psalms each day: first thing before I eat, at dawn as I start the day's fast, at midday, at dusk before I break my fast, and at night before bed.

A church and a mosque in St. Petersburg, Russia.

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