The Day of Atonement is drawing to a close. This year, I’ve drawn lessons on it from a variety of sources: my weekly quiet time on II Kings 24, Harold Kushner’s Who Needs God?, Miroslav Volf’s Against the Tide, Henri Blocher’s In the Beginning, Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson, and my personal experience.
What I’ve concluded is that there have been times in my life when I have been selfish and have not thought about how I have impacted others. Now, I should work to have compassion and empathy for other people.
But don’t I already know this? Don’t I write about it on my blog? Don’t I remind myself of that when I do the “Church of James Pate’s Brain” at night, as I try to fall asleep?
Yes, but it’s still a battle. There is good and there is evil within me. I need to “yield to that right spirit”, as my Grandpa Pate would say. It’s a daily decision. And God loves me through all of it.
Why fast this time of year? Well, I think it’s a good idea for me to fast sometime—to get closer to God, or to be reminded of my vulnerability, or to learn to appreciate food. Fasting also sets apart this day as special, and gives me an opportunity to think about God and where I am going with life.
I’m debating whether I should eat at an Indian restaurant or eat macaroni at home. I’ll see!