book report: 40 days without food by Russ Masterson
The Christian discipline of fasting is exotic to me. I can't resist books about fasting. This year I completed my first hungry Lenten fast, 40 days without breakfast or lunch. I've done Lenten fasts which were more about abstentions from one thing in particular but not entire meals in general before this year. But Russ Masterson explored a more intense fast, no meals, just grape juice and V8 for 40 days. The books chapters are based on journal entries over those 40 days. This format lends itself to poignancy and banality. I'll give an example of each. A)"I keep struggling with the same issue, the same distrust of a good God who I doubt has a plan for my passions and gifts. It’s all selfishness and disbelief, an amazing amount of each of those. I have a plan and a picture and God isn’t cooperating." B)"The lady with the coupons then began asking questions about the bananas. Who has questions about bananas? I wanted to grab one and shove it in her eye socket. ...