Have an Easy Fast..........

“For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before God” (Leviticus 16:30).

I have mentioned on several occasions how much I appreciate and respect some of the Jewish traditions and observances........

Yom Kippur begins a few minutes before dusk and ends tomorrow, 24 hours later, just after nightfall during Tishrei.......

I have spent sometime reviewing my understanding of this most holy day:

Yom Kippur commemorates the day when God forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. Forty days after hearing God say at Mount Sinai, “You shall not have the gods of others in My presence; you shall not make for yourself a graven image,” the Jews committed the cardinal sin of idolatry. Moses spent nearly three months on top of the mountain pleading with God for forgiveness, and on the tenth of Tishrei it was finally granted: “I have pardoned, as you have requested.”

From that moment on, this date, henceforth known as the Day of Atonement, is annually observed as a commemoration of our special relationship with God, a relationship that is strong enough to survive any rocky bumps it might encounter. This is a day when we connect with the very essence of our being, which remains faithful to God regardless of our outward behavior.

And while it is the most solemn day of the year, we are also joyful, confident that God will forgive our sins and seal our verdict for a year of life, health and happiness.

As Christians we are called to "die to sin" daily...to wake up everyday renewed in the spirit of our baptism.......We are called to confess our sins and repent but to trust that we are forgiven by the grace and mercy of God........

But what a blessing it would be to spend an entire day focused on our wrong doings and then celebrate and rejoice in our forgiveness.......

I love it.........

And as much as the very essence of my faith lies in the fact that Jesus died on the cross and gave his life for me so that I may live eternally with our Father in heaven, I can't help but be envious of the observance and celebration of this holy day.........

May those who observe this festival be blessed by the presence of God amongst them.......

May their "fast be easy"..........

May the year ahead bring them a great abundance of joy, health and peace......