Today, my Jewish sisters and brothers celebrate Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
A day set aside for prayer and fasting. A day of seeking forgiveness and turning one’s life in the direction of promises and purposes of that which we know and name as God.
The traditional greeting is Tzom Kal. May you have an easy fast.
By my prayer is different.
My prayer is this.
As you fast, may your stomach growl and you know the pangs of hunger and so remember the countless number of God’s children who, on this day, do not fast, but also do not eat.
As you fast, may you know longing not just for the food which sustains, but a longing for the promises of God which are meant for you and for all.
As you fast, may your vision sharpen to see beyond the limitations of today to the promise of tomorrow.
And, as you break your fast and taste the wonder and richness of the food which you will eat, may you remember well the hunger for justice and the possibility of shalom and the promises of God. Both for your own sake, and for ours as well.
Thank you for your prayers and your fasting this day.
May you sense and know the abiding presence of the Holy.
And, together, may we find a way to walk in the direction of understanding and peace.