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by Fred C. Wilson III
April 4, 2011
“LORD let me show my gratitude to YOU today by avoiding sin and practicing virtue…Amen.”
-the writer-
FASTING
Fasting, praying, and alms giving are key elements in most religions. Fasting and alms giving are two of the Five Pillars (hallmarks) of Islam. See: Five Pillars of Islam/Wikipedia). Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Taoists fast though Sikhs don’t except for medical reasons. See: www.urbandharma.org. The New Testament sternly warns Christians of the spiritual dangers associated with gluttony (binge eating). Modern science also cautions us about the physical and mental dangers associated with over eating. Food, sex, exercise, entertainment, meaningful work, the Internet and other pleasure-necessities if abused becomes sources of sin for abusers; they become gods in themselves since they divert our attention from the real GOD. St. Paul repeatedly warns against idolatry.
There are many kinds of non-food fasting. Case in point: I have a mental list as long as an elephant’s trunk of the number of times I narrowly missed being hit by drivers using cell phones, people who should have been paying attention to the road. A few minutes ago at the time of this writing some young woman nearly collided with me and two other drivers when she blew through a red light. The woman was too busy chatting on her mobile phone to notice traffic. Why police officers don’t crack down on these flagrant violators is beyond me. The City of Chicago would make a fortune on traffic busts at the corner of Chicago Avenue and LaSalle Street! Modern people have turned electronic ‘toys’ into totems; idols for use of a better word. Many people do everything short of bowing down before their mechanical gadgets.
Are you a ‘computer junkie?’ Many Internet users are. I rarely use cell phones but I’m always working my computer. I know folks who are addicted to those machines. Fasting for me implies my spending more time reading my Bible, praying the Rosary, engaged in other spiritual pursuits. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ‘knocking’ technology. Four of my five kids make pretty good money as networkers, software designers, and computer repair people; none of them can be accused of being ‘techno-junkies.’ For persons addicted to technology Lent is a good time to practice moderation. To learn about more modern forms of fasting go to: Fasting by Pastor Mark Driscoll and or search: Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting/Facebook.
PRAYER
We’ve all learned when we were kids that prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to GOD. I went to Catholic schools where the nuns drilled that into us; glad they did. In the previous edition, we delved into the many aspects of prayer. By way of review here’s the core definition of prayer: “Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a god or spirit through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creedal statement, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person…” (Source: Wikipedia)
ALMS GIVING
To some people alms giving means a dollar in the collection basket or doling out dollars to panhandlers. Reader, you may consider me a cheap S.O.B. but I never give handouts to street people. Why should I subsidize some guy’s crack habit; besides its illegal. If you want to give street donations here’s what you do:
* Purchase $5 books of $1 Chicago Shares vouchers; this way you’ll be feeding persons down on their luck. Go to: www.chicagoshares.org to learn about this wonderful program that feed homeless people.
* Give to authorized (badge wearing) Streetwise vendors. After purchasing their magazine ($2), politely refuse it so that the vendor can resell it later.
* Donate money to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. Their web address: www.chicagohomeless.org to learn more.
The traditional ‘check-is-in-the-mail’ approach to charitable giving is acceptable but as a suburban pastor once mentioned in his homily, if all we do is write charity checks instead of getting personally involved with the needy, we’re tying to ‘buy GOD off.’ GOD won’t be bribed! Reader, you gotta’ get your hands dirty;
volunteer.
We live in weird times. Christians should take a ‘creative approach’ to alms giving. Here’s suggestions to liven charitable giving:
* When in a restaurant it’s nice to say grace before meals but don’t over work the waitress/waiter or be miserly when it comes to tipping. TIP GENERIOUSLY preferably in cash.
* When giving don’t ‘show boat’ (show off), be cheap, or give grudgingly. GOD loves a cheerful giver Scriptures tell us.
* If it is within your capacity direct homeless people to organizations that offer them jobs not handouts. If they look at you like you’re from the moon, tough; you did your job.
St. Paul wrote ‘those who don’t work shouldn’t eat.’ I’m with Paul. Why should you work at some boring oppressive job and dole out portions of your hard earned paycheck to some lazy bum? For example (not bragging) when I was a teacher I would take Lake Shore Drive to and from my job on the West Side (North Lawndale). Every day I’d notice this young homeless man who’d run up to cars that were waiting at the red light and beg for money. I decided to conduct an experiment. I spiritually ‘adopted’ the guy. As the school year rolled on I donated clothes, money, and other items I thought homeless people could use. About six months into the school year I found this guy a job. He grinned and said, ‘Yo’ bro’ ‘main’ (brother man) I ain’t in ta’ dat (to that).’ He’d rather beg than work. From that day on I passed him by and drove on. Reader here’s a guy who was young, healthy, and probably of above average intelligence but lazy as a hot day in July.
That’s it; next our annual Easter edition. GOD bless you and drive carefully without the d*** cell phone stuck in your ear because it’s me you may run over!
(vamaxwell@yahoo.com)