Easter in the Time of Fasting

Yesterday (Sunday) we celebrated Easter—the day when love gave the greatest gift ever given: life and forgiveness for anyone who wants to receive it.  At the same time, this past Sunday was the exact middle day of the month of fasting, a month when people attempt to pay their way to forgiveness and life through the means of fasting and prayer.  What follows is a parable reflecting on that juxtaposition.

Sun setting on Good Friday

Once upon a time there was a father who had two children, a little boy and a little girl, only a year apart.  He was a loving father.  He gave his children everything that they needed and raised them to be polite, wise and helpful.  He would discipline his children, as any good parent would, but he loved them and forgave them even after the harshest discipline.  Though he was a good father, all children experience things in different ways.  They build stories around those experiences and the stories become their reality.

The son, as he grew, came to realize that his father’s ways were fairly simple.  If he disobeyed his father he could expect discipline, but if he repented he was welcomed back.  Obedience was rewarded with joy.  He came to see his father as generous and merciful.  He trusted his father in every situation.  

The daughter, being smart and clever, observed the world and saw her father differently.  It seemed to her that people always had motives for doing things, so she saw her father as manipulative.  If you wanted to get on his good side you had to agree with him.  Going against him resulted in punishment.   To get back in his good graces took time and effort.  You had to earn his respect.  In short, she knew the measure of her father and how far she could trust him in any situation and guarded herself against the motives she read into his actions.

The two children grew and came of age and both planned to go off to college.  Colleges are expensive and their family was not rich.  It did not look at all likely that they would be able to attend the college of their choice, if at all.  But it just so happened that at this very time their father came into a good deal of money.  Surprised and delighted by this, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to bless his two children and told them they could go to any college they wanted, as he would use all his windfall to pay for it.

At the beach for Sunday sunrise service

And so the two children went off to college.  The son spent his time studying and making friends, soon graduated and pursued a career, always thankful for his father’s gift that allowed him to do so much.  But the daughter’s experience was different.  She went to the college of her choice, but from the first assumed that one day the bill would come due and she would be expected to pay her father back.  So she worked a job as she went through school.  She was tired and could only go to school part-time.  And she began to pay her father back for the generous gift he had given her.  “Why?” the father asked, “Why are you trying to pay me back for something I gave you as a gift.”  But the daughter knew better.  She guessed the gift came with strings attached.  

“But, my child, there are no strings,” the father pleaded.  “I did this because I love you.”  But she would not be convinced.  

“Daughter,” he asked, “Do you love me?”

“Yes, of course,” she would answer.  “You are my father.”

“Then why do you not accept my love?”  

“I do accept it.  And I’m paying you back,” she replied.

“But if you pay me, then it is no longer a gift.  And if you do not accept my gift, you do not accept my love.”

“Ah…,” said the daughter, “See, I knew I needed to be careful.  There are always strings attached to your love. If I don’t pay now then you’ll make me pay later.  I know that’s how it works. But don’t worry, I’m good for it.”

Dyeing Eggs

“Oh daughter, ” said the father, with tears in his eyes. “You don’t need to pay anything.  I am happy to pay because I love you.  And love does have strings attached, but those strings are bonds of life.  Will you not accept them?

The daughter stared blankly as if she hadn’t heard, and then walked away, saying over her shoulder, “Don’t worry Dad, I understand what’s required of me…I’ll pay you back and we’ll be even…That’s the way it works, right?…”

PRAYERS ANSWERED
He is risen! We had several opportunities to share with friends and neighbors about the holiday. Tom sent out holiday messages to over 150 islanders and got lots of friendly responses and one debate. The month of fasting limited gathering options, but island brothers and sisters sent lots of messages to a group chat encouraging one another and celebrating the risen One! We also heard about two islanders getting opportunities to share the good news with family members this past week. Very encouraging! We are halfway through the month of fasting and lots of extra prayer for the islands is happening— if you want to join the group praying daily let us know and we can still send you the information so you can participate!

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Continue to pray for opportunities to share truth and be bright lights during this month for our team and all believers on the island. Continue to pray for the medical team’s authorization to begin work at the hospital— they are working on an accord with the ministry of health— pray that this would truly be the last step. One of the main airlines that travels to the islands canceled two out of three of their flights this coming week, causing problems for several of our colleagues that had tickets to travel. It also makes a family traveling to have a baby next week and us (traveling in a couple more weeks) nervous that these cancellations might become a common practice. Pray for peace for everyone traveling, and that  they would see God’s provision of new flights and easy changes if cancellations do happen. It has been very hot and humid, pray for some cooling rains on the islands!