“When
you fast . . .” Matthew
6:16
“Modern
Christians, along with our culture, dislike the idea of exerting control over
our bodies, simply for denial's sake. The popular book Eat, Pray, Love
wouldn't have sold so well if it had been titled Fast, Pray, Serve. As a
result of our culture's unease regarding abstaining from things our bodies
desire, we must justify fasting by doing it for a good cause. But as we relearn
to fast, we should remember that these disciplines are very much about us and
our own personal faith, not only about solidarity with a cause.
Neuroscience
sheds light on how fasting and other spiritual disciplines work by training our
subconscious mental processes. We think of ourselves as entirely the activity of
our conscious thoughts. In reality, our brain has thousands of sub-conscious
processes going on all the time. These processes are often pushing and pulling
different ideas, concerns, or cravings into our consciousness. What this means
is your conscious self is far less in control over who you are and what you do
than you realize. "We are not the ones driving the boat of our
behavior," says neuroscientist David Eagleman. "Who we are runs well
below the surface of our conscious access."
Fasting
can train and shape these processes, giving us the ability to exert control over
other desires. One study found that students who intentionally practiced good
posture for two weeks showed significant improvement afterward on measures of
self control. The ability to control our relationship to food is, of course, one
of the most difficult of the disciplines. Self control is like a muscle; it can
be exhausted by overuse, but it can also be strengthened with exercise.
Jesus
expected that dietary restriction would be a part of our spiritual practice.
"When you fast," he said, not if.
However it does not require abstinence from all food. A fast might mean a
vegetarian diet, but it should require some extra level of dietary control.
Fasting
and all other spiritual disciplines are not simply reminders of other more
important things. We may use hunger like a string tied to our fingers, prompting
us to pray or consider the plight of the poor. But more importantly, spiritual
disciplines shape us in deep ways. Because our brains—at the very
least—mediate, process, and experience our spiritual lives, the disciplines
can train us to become more attuned to God himself. Fasting then teaches and
enables us to live by deeper truths and in accord with a deeper reality than the
basic cravings of our bodies.
For
example, when our blood sugar runs low, chemical signals from the blood stream
reach the brain, which sends out signals to eat. This can happen whether or not
your stomach is empty. We obey those cravings and grab a snack—perhaps without
ever consciously deciding to eat it.
Similar
processes occur in social situations, when we interpret bodily cues to determine
if a new acquaintance will become a friend; when we study and can't figure out a
problem until we've slept on it; or when a hunch leads us to a friend's house
even when we couldn't remember the precise directions. The subconscious brain is
at work, guiding our actions and our behavior.
This
subconscious self is not wholly uncontrollable. It can be trained and shaped.
Fasting and other spiritual disciplines train these processes, shape them, and
thereby shape us into spiritual people. Fasting schools our subconscious. We
exert our will over the cravings of our body so that we have a mental process in
place that is strong enough to overrule other temptations we face. We slowly
become people who are less driven by temporary cravings, whether for food or sex
or personal fulfillment. While spiritual disciplines shape who we will be, they
also reveal who we are. As we struggle and often fail—week after week—we
discover our true selves. We learn about our weaknesses and can seek
forgiveness.
If
fasting for the poor raises awareness of their plight and spurs us to action
alleviating their need, it is certainly a beneficial endeavor. But there is
tremendous value in self-denial for its own sake. Or rather, a habit of denial
strengthens our ability to take up the cross as even our very bodies are molded
into the likeness of Christ”
Rob
Moll is an editor at large for Christianity
Today and author of What Your Body Knows about God,
due out from InterVarsity Press in 2013
For more:
follow on Twitter @jefflampl
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