Leviticus 20:6-21:6

This passage is all about how Jews, as God's chosen people, should be holy, should be different than the other peoples.  The same is true of us as Christians.  We're no longer required to offer sacrifices in the temple or refrain from eating pork, but we are required to keep ourselves holy (with God's help, of course!), to view our bodies and our lives as temples to God, to behave differently than others--with love, with purity, with righteousness.  I'm not advocating being purposefully, intentionally different, necessarily, I mean simply that the way we live our lives, as Christians, is ultimately different than how a 'normal' person would live his or her life.  Of course we will not succeed by ourselves and need God's help every step of the way, but that's no reason not to strive.

Fasting

Today, completely spontaneously, I fasted.  It was my first time, and it was really really interesting.  I was surprised at how not hungry I was most of the day--I mostly just got hungry around meal times.  Not eating definitely made me realize how much food there is, all over--restaurants, street vendors, grocery stores.  I thought a lot about people who can't eat the food that's all around, not because they have chosen to abstain, but because they don't have the money to.  Lord, please be with those people, and please help us to be generous with those who need help.