Slowing Down 5 – Simplicity

Simplicity

If, in our attempt to be grateful for and satisfied with what we have, we must realize the value of living simply. Fr. Dave Gutmann recommended a book on the same theme as Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy, called The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, by John Mark Comer.

Comer shares some steps toward Simplicity:

1. Before you buy something, ask yourself, “What is the cost of this item?” (upkeep, maintenance, insurance, cleaning, etc.) Will it add value to my life and help me enjoy God and the world even more? Or distract me?
2. Before you buy, ask yourself, by buying this, am I oppressing the poor or harming the earth?
3. Never impulse buy. The larger the item, the longer you should wait.
4. When you do buy, opt for fewer, better things. Instead of buying a lot of cheaply (and often unjustly) made items, live without for a while and then buy a quality item that will last.
5. When you can, share, rather than buy.
6. Get into the habit of giving things away. Want a more blessed life? Give. Generously. Regularly. Less shopping means more money to share, which in turn means a more blessed life.
7. Live by a budget. A budget is to your money what a schedule is to your time. It’s a way to make sure that your “treasure” is going to the right place and not getting squandered.
8. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
9. Cultivate a deep appreciation for creation. If materialism de-spiritualizes us, nature has the opposite effect; it re-spiritualizes our souls.
10. Cultivate a deep appreciation for the simple pleasures. Every stroll, sunrise, or good conversation with an old friend is a potential portal to the grateful enjoyment of life in God’s world.
11. Recognize advertising for what it is—propaganda. Call out the lie.
12. Lead a cheerful, happy revolt against the spirit of materialism. (Comer recommends we start with our closet.)

I tried his suggestion of going through my closet. I’ve been meaning to do this for quite a while now, and a weight change is making many of my clothes no longer “fitting.” I’m embarrassed to say, I discovered I own 24 sweaters! Now, given that I grew up in Montana, one might be able to explain owning several, but 24? In each category of clothing that I considered, I own an over-abundance.

John the Baptist exhorted, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” ^{(NIV, Luke 3:11)} The King James Version says two coats. Not quite sweaters, but close. And Dorothy Day, the prominent Catholic Worker Movement activist and writer, went a step further and said, “If you have two coats, one of them belongs to the poor.” (How’s that for inducing guilt? Not my intention, but something to ponder.)

I’m just back from delivering a carload of clothing to Goodwill. It feels good, but to be honest, my closet still holds more than I need. I can do better. I can take some of Comer’s other advice and stop impulse buying and not purchasing what I (or my grandchildren) don’t need. (Just one more stuffed animal?) I’m not sure I can go all the way to his current practice of owning two casual outfits and two Sunday outfits. I’ll take baby steps. (One of my grandchildren gave up buying things for Lent. I could learn from him.)

Is there an area of your life where the Spirit is moving you to live more simply? Maybe it’s not in the things you own, but the occupation of your time. Or the demands and expectations that you place on yourself. Or how you want to be perceived by others.

Like the old Shaker song, “Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free.” Or, an even better advisor…

Then [Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. ^{(NIV, Luke 12:15)}

Or in the parable of the sower, “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” ^{(NIV Mark 4: 18-19)}

Let’s not let the worries of this world, or the desire for more things, choke God’s word and make it unfruitful.

Only a little more than a week until Holy Week! May the time be a blessing to your life!

Simplicity

Teachers of both Western and Eastern spirituality concur that one path to Joy is Simplicity.

Isn’t there something universally attractive about those who value simplicity? Think of the Amish, St. Francis of Assisi, the pioneers who fit what they needed into a covered wagon, the Native American culture, the self-sufficient monastic abbeys, or Mother Theresa.

I value simplicity, but I don’t yet live it. My house is cluttered with meaningful things— that is— things that I have attached meaning to. I want flowers in my yard that were favorites of certain loved ones and souvenirs on my shelves to remind me of travels or my girls’ childhoods. I take photos to mark every occasion and think of my boxes of books as old friends.

It is fine to enjoy the memories which our items inspire, but if we give too much meaning to things, they can become too important. Global awareness forces us to realize our abundance causes others scarcity. One element of simplicity is remaining detached from our possessions so that we can share and give away to those in need. The less we own, the less time we must devote to the care of our possessions. That time would be better spent in a myriad of ways: prayer, our own refreshment, pursuit of our life passion, or enjoyment of our loved ones.

That leads me to another break with Simplicity that impedes our Joy, Busy-ness.

Today’s culture declares we must always be busy, always productive, always struggling to catch up with the best. Even though technology advances were expected to provide us with more time for enjoyment, in fact, men and women are working longer hours. A generation or two ago women generally spent their days focused on family life while men focused on financially supporting the family. Now we are all expected to balance and even excel at homemaking, family life, fitness, and volunteering, as well as a career.

Granted, most people need to keep working full time and in this economy we feel blessed to have work. Beyond work commitments, we all want to see our children learning extra-curricular skills like sports and music. And our communities and churches rely on our volunteering. So we are all exhausted. An annual two-week vacation (laptops at the ready) is not enough.

God knew that. He told us that. He said we need a day every week to rest, get refreshed, and have time with our families and friends and time to know Him better. It’s one of the 10 Commandments and yet we seem to think it isn’t an important one. He asks us to keep holy the Lord’s Day reminding us, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27

Without rest, where is our balance? If your neighbor or good friend were sick and needed some help, would you have the time? Where is the time to be creative, to nourish ourselves, to play, and to pray? How can we grow in faith, or for that matter, closer to our loved ones without time to visit and share our experiences?

We need to incorporate respite into our lives. We need to retreat into the mountains or out to the desert to pray, like Jesus did. Nature and relaxation refresh our souls. But our spirits also require time every day in order to get our priorities straight. We need to live with a sense of mindfulness, not chaos, focused on what we are doing. The whole pattern of our day needs to center on God as an integral part of our lives. We NEED daily prayer.

What can we do today to simplify our lives and rededicate them to what is important? We’ll need to be brave enough to say, “No,” when careful consideration tells us that “no” is the right answer. Let’s finish the commitments we’ve made that are important but be very careful before making new ones. Unimportant commitments we can let go of right away. Does the yard really need more flowers or does the organization I belong to really need one more activity? Does the club reduce already scarce time with my family? Do my children really need to participate in sports they don’t like? How much TV is too much?

We could, if we were very brave, go further. Is this house more space than we really use? Do we need this many cars? What would happen if I cut back on my hours at work? Or the work I bring home from work? Can we change our lifestyle?

The path to Simplicity will be different for each of us but it will surely shorten the road to Joy.

Blessings on your week and on your reassessment of your lifestyle.

Betty Arrigotti