Today I fasted, as I have the first Monday of every month for the past 25 or so, since the Veteran’s Fast for Peace on the Capital steps. I was one of many who took on the commitment of that fast, piecemeal, giving those veterans a way to continue living while maintaining the power of their commitment.

There are (at least) two ways to give one’s life: (1) by dying for what you believe and (2) by living and working for what you believe. #1 demonstrates the ultimate commitment, but I think #2 is generally more effective. You get more time.

At the time we took on that commitment, the nuclear arms race was in full swing. I wrote for the Brunswick Maine Recorder: “…We fast to remind ourselves and others that, while we squander our resources preparing for a war that no one wants, millions of people are starving, here in the United States and elsewhere.” The nonsensical image of people starving in a world of plenty remains very close to my heart and moves me to keep working for a better world, day after day.

This incongruity is appalling. But it also provides a vivid image of possibility and hope. That hope carries me through lean days like this one, when two promising investors (having taken a beating in the stock market this year) decided not to consider investing in a common good bank after all. Tomorrow may be a feast.