I used to think of fasting as strictly going without food of any kind for a period of time, hopefully as short as possible, and usually permitting drinks as needed. Even then, one day was all I could handle, and I only attempted the experiment a few times while at Bible college.
Ironically, it’s still hard for me to understand those who fast regularly, and for longer periods of time, a personal fast. But oddly enough, a few years ago as I found my heart increasingly touched by animal welfare concerns, I also found myself in a fasting position I never would have expected to be in and didn’t even recognize it at first. Having grown up in a traditional American home as a regular meat and potatoes (and dessert) kind of guy, I was now willing to give up meat for good.
It wasn’t an overnight transition, and 100% abstinence has been a hard ideal to achieve, especially when my wife and I are hosted in family and friends’ homes (we’re still somewhat flexible with seafood, though “meat” is defined as all animal flesh). Following the Bible’s lead, I don’t believe any of us have the right to expect vegetarianism from others. But as I grew increasingly put off by our society’s animal farming practices, I realized that I personally also wasn’t willing to live with the fact that any sentient being had to die period, just to feed my palate.
Reasons to consider a fast from meat:
At first I didn’t think of giving up meat as a fast. Please don’t get me wrong. I believed there was a place for wholesale fasting and other forms of focused abstinence, I just didn’t think you needed to give up meat entirely to benefit yourself and God’s kingdom. Then it hit me. Abstaining from meat was a conscious, disciplined and sacrificial response to the pull of God’s kingdom on my own conscience (I still miss Chicago-style hotdogs, though).
Here are some reasons
a “meatless” fast whether for a meal or a week, for a temporary season, or even a longer stretch of time would benefit the environment:
Industrial fishing
-Industrial fishing can also be inhumane, and is wreaking havoc on many aquatic ecosystems.
Industrial animal farming
– Industrial animal farming contributes a staggering amount of pollution to the environment. This occurs locally through the generation of massive amounts of waste and air contaminants (e.g. Humane California “No Room to Move“). According to the UN, animal farming generates more greenhouse gas emissions globally than all vehicle use put together (e.g. Dan Hooley’s “Meat and the Environment”).
Animal farming also consumes an inordinate amount of our world’s resources, including deforested land, water, grains and other feed, and oil for transportation (e.g. Animal Awareness – “Impacts of Factory Farming”). Needless to say, all of these resources could be conserved or go directly to human use, especially to our world’s most needy.
Putting It All Together
Last, but far from least, any measure of fasting from meat honors God’s concern for all of the above, by intentionally aligning ourselves with our Creator’s desire to bring all of creation to the perfectly harmonious and nondestructive state He originally intended for it (e.g. “Not One Sparrow’s Motivation”). And, according to Paul, the Apostle, we’re an irreplaceable component in that all-encompassing redemptive process (Romans 8:19-22).
(If you’re interested in considering some form of fast from meat, additional quality resources include: pastor/theologian Greg Boyd’s posts on “Why I’m a Vegetarian,” co-founder of the Christian Vegetarian Association Stephen Webb’s book Good Eating, and the Humane Society of the United States’ short film, “Eating Mercifully” and article “Humane Eating” on reducing, refining and replacing animal products.)
