It’s Ramadan again and I’m fasting with the same caveats as last year. You might ask, “What’s up with going to a UU church every week and fasting during Ramadan?” Well, I haven’t converted from Islam to anything else, and I haven’t become a member of the UU church, so I feel the same sense of religious obligation to fast that I did before I started attending services. We all pick and choose which parts of our religion to follow and I’m following this part.
My experience and activities so far have been similar but not the same as last year.
Last year, I had quite a bit of that lovely transcendence one can feel when one engages deeply with God. This year, not so much. That’s a bummer but a friend’s husband reminded her that Ramadan is all about the cumulative effect. I’m hoping that will prove true for me as well. What I can say so far is that being obedient to the rules of God in my faith bestows a sense that I am doing good and living right which, while certainly not a shield against misfortune, does make me feel secure in my own actions. This, I’m getting right.
I’m doing a lot of reflection this month. As I’ve become more involved with UU Lansing I was asked to co-facilitate a class called Building Your Own Theology. If we get enough people registered it will run beginning at the end of this month through the summer. The curriculum was developed by a UU minister and published by the UU Association of Congregations in book format. It includes readings, personal reflections and writing, and group discussions around topics such as religious experience, human nature, ultimate reality, ethics, and writing your spiritual credo. Right now I’m doing the readings and writing assignments ahead of the class and really enjoying it.
On the Muslim side of life, it’s traditional to read the Koran during Ramadan. I’m memorizing new chapters to incorporate into daily prayers and the process of consideration that memorization brings is giving me a fresh perspective on some passages that I’m enjoying. It’s also calling on me to consider my beliefs, and what I belief God is asking of us and what He has ordained.
And let me let you in on a secret about fasting. It’s not about the food. (Last week I ate cold leftovers morning and night for 3 1/2 days and was just fine with that. Who cares as long as you’re eating?) No, it’s not about the food. It’s about making room for God in your everyday life. It’s about being reminded, every time you’re hungry or thirsty, that there’s another place to turn for succor, for sustenance. It puts things in perspective.
To be honest, however, I’m having a rough time this year. Fasting isn’t easy and I’m having to take this one day at a time, and to take occasional breaks. I really admire those who can fast according to the letter of the law in this part of the world for the whole month through. It’s more than I can do.
Plum Librarian LLC 