Part Seven - the Fast

As the sun began to spread out its joy upon us, we curled up on the many couches in the lounge. I tried to tear my eyes off of the shadowed and sharp peaks of the mountains, in order to acknowledge the leader of our prayer meeting. He sat in an old, upholstered chair and spoke out a welcome to any newcomers. 

He was none other than the one who saved me from the bus stop and deposited me here. The lines on his face were deep ravines carved out of years of thought and conversation. He introduced himself as Jim, one of the Workers. He spoke of L'Abri's 47-year history of Monday prayer. It was a day especially focused on talking with our God, thanking him for the often surprising and generous care that had sustained this work for so long, and reminding him of our needs:

Donations.

Students.

Workers.

Jim mentioned this month-by-month reliance, begun as an essential part of demonstrating God's existence, as not without struggle and...lack. Not a total, debilitating lack - the work kept right on "working" - but a real lack, nonetheless. Salaries were often cut. In fact, the lack was so tangible this month, he asked that any who might consider fasting, join with the Workers as they abstained from food for the day. A simple broth would be made available for dinner.

I was surprised. From what I knew, many people studying at L'Abri were not professing Christians, or, if they were, they had, at the least, stepped out of orthodox Christian practices (church-going, prayer, Scripture-reading, communion) to have a look at it all afresh. 

I scanned my fellow snuggled-down, middle-class, (mostly) North Americans. The weight of the situation was obvious.

But fasting? Was he serious?

The cynical, scrunched-up noses all around me, avoiding eye contact with this vulnerable leader, seemed less than keen to go hungry over the next 24 hours...for any cause.

...