40 Day Fast, 2008

About this time last year, I wrote a post about making a difference, about giving a damn, explaining why I was participating in the 40 Day Fast. And when my day rolled around, I blogged about killing ourselves, about what it does to us when we ignore the needs of those around us. I wrote about Blood:Water Mission and the ways we can make a tangible difference in the lives of our neighbors, others created, like us, in the image of God. And I ended my post by trying to articulate why I think it is important to live this way, to live as if the Gospel were true. I wrote, “Toward the end of his song White Dove, Andrew Osenga keeps repeating the line “Every sad thing will become untrue.” As we live in the tension of the already-and-not-yet of the Kingdom of God, as we embrace its paradoxical nature and hope and wait for everything to be made new, let us live our lives today as evidence of the redemptive work of Christ so that others may hear and see the echoes of His Kingdom in all we say and do.”

Today marks the beginning of the 40 Day Fast for 2008. I encourage you to follow along on the Inspired to Action website, a site birthed out of last year’s event. I’ll be contributing a post on July 21st, writing once again about Blood:Water Mission. Brant Hansen, who was also a part of our group last year, has kicked things off by writing a post about Where God Lives.

In her song Little Things, my friend JJ Heller (and her husband Dave) reminds us that it’s the little things we do that make a difference, a good reminder at the start of this event where there is the danger that we will be overwhelmed by the needs we are exposed to and so remain inactive.

There are not enough minutes in the day
I am crippled by the thought of wasting time
I don’t have enough money to heal the poor
So I don’t want to try

But it’s the little things that make a difference
It’s the little things that show love
It’s the little things
A simple cup of water that can change the world
That can save our sons and daughters

I’ll be praying for the widow all alone
Sewing clothes for a loaf of bread
It is not my fault that she is hungry
It’s my joy to make sure she’s fed

CHORUS

We are all related, children of the King
We may not have much, but what we have we bring

But it’s the little things that make a difference
It’s the little things that show love
It’s the little things
A simple cup of water that can change the world
That can save our sons and daughters