Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6)

Today's reflection is by Thea Keith-Lucas,
Episcopal Chaplain to MIT

“Me want it, but me wait!” After years of throwing every cookie he saw into his mouth, Cookie Monster now practices self-control (at least for the 2.5 minutes of his song). 

We want what we want, and we want it now. “But me wait!” can be our own declaration of independence. We can use this season of Lent as an opportunity to separate ourselves from own little addictions: rich food, empty entertainment, gossip, unnecessary consumption. We turn away from the earthly things that have power over us and turn towards the ultimate source of power, our God.

When we free our own minds, we gain the power to stand up to injustice. Many ancient cultures saw fasting as a form of protest. If someone wronged you, you could embarrass them into making it right by sitting at their doorstep and refusing all food. In our time, courageous individuals have used hunger strikes to protest for women’s suffrage, Indian independence, better prison conditions, and other essential freedoms.

With God’s help, we have the power to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke.