Well, I made it though a day of fasting. Wow, that was more difficult than I thought it would be. I did fast for about 25 hours and I was famished last night. I ate a meal and a massive headache came upon me. I went to bed early, the fasting truly wreaked my system. I am much better today and have a humbling remorse for those who go hungry from poverty. It definitely puts in perspective something I should not take for granted.
Unfortunately, I did not participate in any of the festivities with my local Jewish community. Don’t get me wrong, if I where given the chance to worship with my Jewish family, I would have been ecstatic. Life does not always seem to go my way sometimes, I am sure that this is a normal human condition.
Anyway, what did I learn from the last ten days? Hmmm, well, at first I could not understand what this Jewish holiday was all about. I knew it was about repentance and forgiveness, but all that was from what I have read. I truly did not understand until I experienced the day of fasting with the reading of the Book of Jonah. I honesty took a look at myself and saw a man who has some room for improvement and needs to get with the program. Lately, I have been over critical of G-d and religion.
It was this verse from Jonah 3:6-10 that nailed the significance of this tradition;
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Even though some of the scripture seems awkward to my modern sensibility, G-d’s forgiveness of Nineveh’s sins though fasting and sincere repentance seemed to bring it all together for me. I realized why there is reflection, repentance, and fasting.
Last year I was in the process of making a decision to convert too Judaism and was too overwhelmed to even understand what the Days of Awe meant. So, this year I was in a better position to experience some of what it is to be a Jew. Maybe next year, G-d willing, I will truly be able to experience this sacred tradition first hand.
In closing, I am so grateful that I fasted on Yom Kippur and was able to gain spiritually from the experience, even when it was not the idea situation. It really does reflect on G-d’s mercy and grace.
Blessings of Shalom
1 Comment
October 10, 2008 at 11:09 am
It sounds as if Yom Kippur fulfilled your spiritual self in many ways.