Non-Religious but Leaning on Faith - My First Ramadan
As a child, being forced into religion made me resent it. As an adult, I appreciate it’s guidance.
I never thought I would take part in Ramadan having grown up in a super religious Christian household. I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. If you know, you know.
Growing up I had to follow a lot of religious rules that I didn’t understand and didn’t care for. I was the type of child who needed to know why I was being told to do a certain thing, and I pushed back regularly on blind faith that was preventing me from harmless fun like birthday parties and holiday celebrations.
I started to view all religions as just a means of control, and by 22 I was questioning whether or not God was even real. I’ll admit it was a scary realization that I had nothing “forcing” me to be a decent human being, but fortunately, it was my natural disposition.
Fast forward over a decade with a lot of booze and a lot of partying.
Over the last few years, I’ve been reintroducing myself to spirituality. But absolutely nothing reignited my curiosity into faith as watching Muslims in Palestine and Sudan endure a relentless genocide, and lean on Allah to carry them through. It is almost unreal, unimaginable, unthinkable that a being you cannot see or hear or touch gives you the strength to persevere the most painful atrocities known to man. After years of barely opening a Bible, I started reading the Qur’an and took part in Ramadan.
As a non-muslim who participated in Ramadan as best I could, I realized a few things about fasting, myself, humans, and the society I was raised in:
We often live in overindulgence. I couldn’t believe how much energy I had with very little food during the day.
Fasting allowed me to become more focused. I was much more mindful and selective about how I nourished my body when it was time.
This was the start of my exodus from alcohol. My detox from harmful foods and drinks allowed just one alcoholic drink to have a noticeable adverse effect.
We can give back more when we want to. Fasting from things like needless shopping allowed me to donate more.
It’s of the utmost importance those closest to me are healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
My first Ramadan may be ending, but the lessons I’ve learned this month are a new beginning of a deeper exploration of faith, relationships, and lifestyle.