A Very Lenten Ramadan
Episode 2
Hello, you’re listening to the second episode of a short podcast series entitled ‘A Very Lenten Ramadan’. In this podcast I’m exploring my experience of a Ramadan style fast for Lent, inspired by the fact that these two fasting periods – one Muslim, one Christian – both began on the same day in 2026. I’m a protestant Christian, some might call me an evangelical, personally I just consider myself a Bible believer and I endeavour to apply the teachings of that book to my life.
But the appeal to fast Ramadan style during Lent didn’t escape me, so that’s what I’ve been doing for just over a week now.
Before I go any further in my reflections though, I realised that I might have inadvertently said something incorrect about Islam in my first episode. I was reflecting on the central teaching of grace in Christianity and that this allowed me to navigate some flexibility in my fasting.
However, just after I’d finished the first episode I remembered my Muslim students telling me how if they had to break the Ramadan fast at any point for a legitimate reason that they were allowed to catch it up afterwards. So I thought I’d better make mention of that flexibility of fasting that is also – so I’ve been told – a part of Muslims’ fasting during Ramadan. Just to make sure I’m not misrepresenting their religion and its teachings.
Now that I’ve been doing a Ramadan style fast for just over a week, I’ve got a question. How does the Muslim world get anything done during the month? Because my productivity is definitely lower than normal!
During Ramadan, as I am experiencing, you have to get up early and stay up late if you want to consume any food or drink. This quite obviously leads to exhaustion. So I’m wondering whether everyone just expects productivity to be lower and isn’t really troubled by this for about a month. Or is productivity expected to stay the same?
Because I had some of my best naps (plural) ever last weekend. I was exhausted. And I got next to nothing done, when I had a bunch of things I needed to do.
On Saturday I spent the day doing a couple of things, then I’d go and lie down again. I’d hang the washing out then need to nap. I’d do the vacuuming, then go and have another little sleep. Not great for productivity, even just around the house!
As a Christian I’m actually used to getting up early and staying up late to pray. That’s already a part of my personal daily routine.
Still, it’s a challenge. Prayer and fasting done properly always is.
And so, in line with that, I do wonder whether Ramadan is something that Muslims look forward to or whether they dread it when they realise it’s coming up again soon.
Because there are plenty of things about my Christian faith that don’t make me dance with joy, but I trust that, ultimately, they are good and good for me.
In my last podcast I was reflecting on how I am fasting as an individual, not fasting in a family or a community as Muslims are doing during Ramadan. I questioned whether there is something that is lacking when we fast as an individual.
Having thought about it for a bit I’d say – short answer, no. The fast is an expression of a relational connection between the individual and God and so there isn’t anything lost.
But perhaps there is something gained by fasting in community. We eat in community, right? So should we not consider fasting in community? I think this can still be done in a way that matches the humility and lack of hypocrisy that Jesus is calling for in his sermon on the mount.
I have heard of entire churches engaging in fasting, or a period of fasting being encouraged for the church. I visited a church in my area once and they had just finished a 21 day fast as a church. I then took on the next 21 days as a period of fasting for myself and didn’t have dinner those 21 days. I think that’s the closest I’ve come to fasting in community.
As I said I don’t think there’s anything lost by fasting individually but there is a beauty to communal fasting: because there’s a beauty to community.
And so that’s something that I’m considering in terms of my future fasting. Should I ask someone or a group of people to fast with me for a set period of time? I would want to have good reason for this, of course, and make sure I choose the right people. Mentoring through fasting is not something I’ve ever considered before, but perhaps there’s something in that to explore.
However, it all needs to be done for the right reasons and prayerfully in the first place. Otherwise it’s just a waste of time and not at all pleasing to God.
At any rate, about a week into Ramadan and Lent, these are my reflections thus far. I wouldn’t say there’s anything earth shattering in my thoughts, but I’m definitely thinking more about another religion, which is a good thing. To understand one’s own religion better you need to understand other religions better too.
I’m also exploring new ideas about the potential for fasting which is also good. Not because fasting is a magic trick, but because it’s a way that we can humble ourselves before God and ask him to go to work.
So, until next time, may your Lent bring you closer to God’s heart and the realisation that He holds you in there, with grace upon grace.