Recently in faith Category

Physically I'm getting regular heart palpitations, and my balance is a bit wonky. I get tired pretty quick too. And I'm cold. Always cold. I think physically that's the most disturbing part, I'm never cold. I can tromp around for half an hour in -30C and be warm again when I get inside within 15 minutes, but right now I am icy all day long.

Mentally I'm a bit sideways. I work all day at code type tasks, mostly CSS and HTML, and I find myself doing a lot of 'stare blankly at zend and css trying to figure it out'. Talking is a bit weird too, getting my thoughts in the proper order is often an issue for me, and right now I'm pretty sure half of what comes out of my mouth makes no sense.

On Friday, after my meditative prayer, I joined the fast with the 35,000+ people at hungerfast.org If you don't know what this is about, here's the skinny: the latest US budget rapes and pillages the money going to feed the poor, feed children, care for vetrans, and care for the least of our society. At the same time it maintains benefits for the military and the rich ( such as a $2billion a year tax break for vacation and second homes ). In response some fairly influential figures started fasting, and it's grown to 35,000+ people fasting in prayer and protest from across every major religion and secular group.

The politicians say there is not enough money, yet have cut nothing from military spending. The people are saying a budget is a Moral Document, and that these cuts are not about scarcity, but about horrifically skewed morality ( or a total lack of it ).

I'm fasting from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It may seem a bit odd that a Canadian is fasting in prayer and solidarity with Americans over an issue largely in America. But our government is planning on spending insane amounts of money on fighter jets ( 2% of our national budget for 20 years ), and ignoring our growing issues with working poor, working homeless, and the growing number of Canadians without proper food. ( 3.5 million and growing every year! )

Our government sort of just follows along with what America does, so I'm hoping that by praying and fasting with them to help their poor, it also helps ours. Besides, love thy neighbour right? Canadians spend a lot of time mocking our American neighbours, or slighting them. But what's going on down there affects us, and what they are doing to the poor in the US is sick and wrong. It is heart breaking.

I'm at day 3 of no food. I'm on water, tea, or coffee ( black ). This seriously sucks, it is a level of discomfort I've never felt in my life. It brings a whole new meaning and understanding to hunger. Proper empathy. I can only imagine how this feels when you do not have a choice to go hungry. I can end this any time, millions of people in the US and Canada don't have that luxury. Billions don't world wide.