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The intention of these kingdom fasts is to build solidarity among those who are fasting as they remind their bodies (flesh) that their spirits are in charge – and that both body and spirit are to be under the Lordship of Jesus. The hunger or difficulty of going without a good thing serves us to long for the most rewarding and best of all things and all persons – Jesus Himself.

With May dwindling to a close, June comes in full force, as the weather heats up.

I will admit it: I’m dreading summer in Central Eurasia.

The heat level is already increasing, and I feel like throwing my stove and oven out for the rest of the summer.

That, however, will not be possible, since the Kingdom fast for June is… restaurants!

I really like eating out. Before I moved overseas, one of my favorite things to do on Friday night was go out to eat at a new restaurant with friends. I love trying new things, including new food. It’s especially exciting to be in a new country, with all kinds of restaurants around me, and new dishes simply waiting to be tasted!

However, I want to think about this fast, not in the terms of what I may miss out on, but as an opportunity for something very important:

Hospitality

I am not naturally graced with the gift of hospitality. That’s my mother. She can make anyone feel at home, and whip up a stellar dinner while she’s at it. I tend to feel nervous when people come over to my house. And well… it’s hit or miss as to whether or not my dinner will turn out tasty.

When I came to Central Eurasia, I realized that I was going to have to learn more about hospitality, whether I wanted to or not. Hospitality may be a dying art in America, but here it is still going strong. Women open up their homes every day to serve tea or coffee to their neighbors. Sharing a meal with friends and family is a common occurrence. It is in those moments of opening up one’s home and receiving others, where deeper conversation begins to flow.

As I think of the good memories I have from my childhood, I remember all the times my family sat around the dinner table, laughed and shared life together.

Others would join us, but the purpose remained the same. I am realizing that my mom put in a lot of time and hard work for those moments, not because of the food or the way things would look, but to create a place where we could intimately share.

This month, I want to challenge myself to grow in hospitality and generosity to those around me.

Perhaps, in the midst of that, there will be an opportunity to share about the One whose example I follow. If Jesus can break bread with 5,000 people, I think I can handle 5 around my table.

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