A Different Kind of Fast

I've been thinking for a while about Lent.  I don't always observe Lent, but I'm usually glad when I do. There's something about fasting that impacts your heart and makes Easter something to celebrate even more.  But I can't get one of my favorite chapters of the Bible off my mind.

It's Isaiah 58 and it's been one of my favorites since I stumbled across it while I was making my way through the Bible over the course of a year.  The beginning of the chapter talks about  how the people of Israel were complaining to the Lord that they fast and yet He pays no attention to them.  The Lord responds by saying that they fast for the wrong reasons... to look good before others.  And while fasting they did lots of other things that were wrong.  So the Lord responds with what He wants from the people.  Here it is:

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    to break the chains of injustice,
    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
    free the oppressed,
    cancel debts.
What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
    sharing your food with the hungry,
    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
    being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
    and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
    The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
    You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

 “If you get rid of unfair practices,
    quit blaming victims,
    quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
    and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
    your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
    I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
    firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
    a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
    rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
    restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
    make the community livable again.

I've never gotten over the description of all the things that will result from this kind of fast.  I wrote in my Bible, "This is what I want for my life!"

So during this Lenten season, I'm going to focus on being alert and available to do some of these things.  I don't even know how I would do a lot of these things, but I'm going to see what happens.

I'm open for suggestions if anything comes to your mind.