HomeREADING
“During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice, Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking.
Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. We are to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits -- essentially to clean up our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings. The Arabic word for "fasting" (sawm) literally means "to refrain" - and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words.
During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained.
The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast.
Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of God.”
SERMON
Good Morning!
Ramadan, the holy month of the Muslim year, begins within a few days. Islam uses a lunar calendar. The exact date is not known until the day before when the correct phase of the moon is visibly identified.
During the month of Ramadan, observant Muslims fast and pray during the day, though they are allowed to, and do, eat after sunset.
Ramadan is remarkably like the Days of Awe in the Jewish tradition. Since it celebrates the first revelation of the Qu’ran it also is like Simchat Torah.
In the reading this morning it was stated,
Fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast.
That total commitment is the focus of my attention this morning. There are many examples from history of the dangers of a total commitment whether to a religious idea, a political idea or to a nation, and I am not suggesting that fanaticism is a good thing.
We have seen the dangers of too strong a commitment, too willing a decision to turn over one’s own decision making process to another. From the self destructiveness of Jonestown to the destruction of others in Bosnia, Rwanda and suicide bombings we have seen the evil effects of a willingness to do whatever someone else says. So we rightfully reject absolute submission to any so-called truth, whether religious or political and insist on using our own free and independent reason, experience and thought.
However, it is possible that we thereby lose or miss something important. If we have absolutely no commitment to anything we are not a full personality. And if we have no commitment to institutions or movements, the institutions and movements that are important for our lives will decline and fail.
An example of that is the growing tendency for voters to register as independents rather than as members of a political party. The long term consequences of this are that ever smaller numbers of people determine who our candidates will be and ultimately the political party system will collapse.
The same holds for religious congregations and movements. Unless the level of commitment is strong, unless money, time and work is given, these and other institutions will fail.
I do believe that listening to the claim that there is something beyond ourselves which calls for our attention and to which we ought to commit is a profound thought, especially for those of us in liberal Western cultures where individualism is the prevailing philosophy.
Islam is not the only religion that calls upon its followers to commit fully to Divinity; some here have left other religions precisely because they called for that level of ardor. But I want to look at the positive aspects of commitment.
In our modern approach to religion, and to other institutions or causes in our lives, we tend take care of ourselves, our own needs and our family needs, even our family desires first, and then out of what is left to us, we make donations to various things—our congregation, our political party, groups that are seeking cures for diseases, etc. And so, if we have decided it is time to buy a plasma television set or go on vacation or buy new clothes, those things take priority over donations to good causes.
The ancient view of the world, one carried also by many religious people today, is that everything belongs to God (or the gods) because god made everything and so everything, including our very lives, is a gift from God. Therefore, God must be first in our mind and our hearts. God is above all else: self, family, wealth, nation, anything. That means that the first fruits go to God. God’s portion is the first collection of crops or of lambs or even the first child in a home. God comes first, and then, from what is left, one can buy a television of go on vacation.
We might not accept this view for ourselves, but it does challenge us to consider our own level of commitment to things beyond ourselves.
The fasting of Ramadan, as has been said, is not solely about food. It is about everything in life. What form of fasting will I do to support the things that are important to me? What will I give up in the way of money, time and things for that which is transcendent or is ultimate truth or at least most important?
In preparing for this sermon I had an odd experience. I felt selfish. I say that not in a self condemning way, not in a manner to invoke guilt but rather to bring growth. Growth, not guilt. I live in a wealthy town and if I compare myself to other people in that town I can have a misleading sense of my wealth. If I compare myself to the human family, the global family, I am supremely wealthy.
Am I willing to put off buying a larger television set in order to end cancer of muscular dystrophy? Am I willing to forgo having a larger house in order top support my faith? Am I willing to give one more evening each month or week out of my precious time to end poverty or bring world peace?
It is not just a matter of giving more to whatever is out there. Ramadan says that we must orient ourselves towards God as the top priority of our lives.
In our Unitarian Universalist tradition, part of the quest for each of us individually is to determine what the top priority is that our lives should be oriented towards.
Many moderns say that family is the most important thing. Islam and many other religions make the claim that family is too narrow, too small a priority. And it is a truth that family cannot survive if larger institutions and structures are not in place to support it.
Ramadan, Islam and religion in general call us to look for the highest, the greatest, the transcendent truth.
What is the ruling philosophy of my life? What am I doing to support or achieve the broadest and highest goals that I have?
Ramadan calls me to rise above the mundane, the common, the usual, the day to day, and to consider and reevaluate the priorities in my life.
What is the highest, and what fast will I offer?
Return to
Home
Return to Sermons Index