Ramadan thoughts from Egypt :

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you, so that you become conscious of God.” – Surah 2:183 A.Q.

”Fasting is feasting – not on food but on the Word of God.” – a worker in Egypt

I’ve often reflected on the power of community. Focusing on the month of Ramadan, people are called to fasting and there is something binding them to it and to each other because of the ‘ummah’ or community. How amazing is it that all over the world, millions of people abstain from food, water, smoking, social relations and more from sunup to sundown for 30 days. This year Ramadan hits in the heat of summer. The country’s time was changed back an hour so that fasting would end an hour earlier. Even walking a short distance can spur on thirst. How much more travelling around the city by microbus or metro, doing outdoor work, and the like. The verse above from the Qur’an sticks out to me – “so that you would be conscious of God”.

• I’m praying that this month Muslims in my nation and around the world will thirst and hunger for something more than just waiting for the end of the day when they can eat.
• I pray that during this set apart month they would encounter the Living God and feast not on food at sundown but hunger for something more — the Living Word of God that is Jesus. This Jesus who came to fulfill the Law and break people out of the legality of religion to bring true freedom.
• Regardless of what motivations people have for fasting this month-duty, weight loss, societal pressure, or from the heart – I pray that it would be a month where many learn that fasting is abstaining from a good thing — earthly pleasures — to receive a better thing — revelation of Jesus.