Thursday, February 22, 2007

Want some fries with that fish?

My first Lent in Cincinnati, I pulled up to the Burger King drive-thru and taped to the speaker was a piece of paper proclaiming "Try our Lenten specials!" I wasn't in Indy anymore. And now KFC is asking Pope Benedict XVI to give his personal seal of approval for their new "fish snacker" sandwich.

I'm all and for fasting and practicing simpler eating, but I don't think anyone envisioned fried fish with french fries and full-fat mayo soaked coleslaw that seems to be the staple of Friday dinners 'round here.
Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Isaiah 58:5b-7
I encourage you to eat simpler one day a week. Make a pot of bean soup or perhaps a platter of rice and beans. It's good for our planet and our waistlines. But practice a true fast by making a donation to your local food bank, soup kitchen or shelter. By now all the Christmas goodwill has run dry and they will really appreciate your support.

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