After Matthew 6:16-18
An act that is supposed
to be a kind of worship
becomes an act in a play,
the important replaced
by the theatrical. To draw
the scene larger than life,
which I what you do
in a play, you wear
your makeup, you project
your voice, you assume
a role, you wander the stage
so as to be seen. Here,
however, the goal isn’t
entertainment; the goal is
being noticed, being caught
doing something good, being
respected, being bowed to,
making the self to be
the object of fasting, another
kind of idolatry. A suggestion:
don’t let anyone know when
you fast. Disguise yourself
to look normal, if you have to.
Keep the fast a secret between
you and the purpose, the objective
of your fast. Do it so that God
only knows.
Photograph by Julia Caesar via Unsplash. Used with permission.
