“Not So Fast”

Monday, October 29, 2012

Does fasting only have to do with giving up eating; can it also be giving up something you enjoy doing?

Sincerely,
Rumbly Tummy

Dear Rumbly Tummy,

The Greek word for ‘fasting’ is ‘naystaya’, and it simply means ‘to abstain from food’, and this is the only way the word is used in the Bible.  In fact, we get our word ‘breakfast’ from this idea.  Breakfast is when you “break” the “fast” of the night.  Although many religions have used the term ‘fast’ to include abstaining from anything, the word means simply to abstain from food.

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