THE
GIFT OF SIMPLICITY
Luke
18:18-27
"How
hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God."
In a world of great
poverty, in a country dramatically divided between those who have so much and
those who have very little, Jesus' words come as a sobering reminder to those of
us who are comparatively well-off, that our money and possessions can prevent
us from being part of God's kingdom. "It
is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is
rich to enter the kingdom of God," says Jesus, and he not only had the
"filthy rich" in mind. No wonder that those who heard these words
said "Then who can be saved?"
Is it only those who turn their backs on the world, take a vow of
poverty and join a monastery? Can we
continue to live in a complex world with all its inevitable compromises, and
still be saved?
Not far from Stockbridge in
western Massachusetts, where Isobel and I have spent some time, is the old
Shaker village of Hancock. The Shakers were a small
Christian sect founded in England in the 18th century that believed
Jesus was going to return within their own life time. So they sold up everything, got rid of
worldly possessions, formed communities of mutual support, and waited for Jesus. Persecution forced many of them to seek
refuge in the United States where they became well-known for their handcraft, the way in which they danced during worship, and
the songs they sang as they did so It was one of these that prompted this
meditation. I woke up last Friday with the words "it's a gift to be
simple" running through my brain!
They come from what is probably the best known Shaker song:
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
There is something
attractive about the idea of living simply unless, of course, you happen to be
poor and have no option but to live simply.
But living simply is an enormous challenge for all of us who live in our
modern day complex world shaped by market forces and new technologies. The
moment you get a bank account, smart-phone or computer, whatever innocence you
might have previously imagined you had, flies out of the widow along with your
e-mails, Facebook entries, and much of your cash.
I asked Isobel what she
thought "living simply" meant.
In response she wrote a long poem, far too long to repeat here (but see
below). Each stanza begins with a
question seeking further clarification: does living simply mean living
uncomplicated lives, or uncluttered, or living in a less complex world. or
being simple or single-minded? And, she
ends: "Can we really live simply without a drastic life-style
change...without giving away everything" and joining a monastery? And we might add, can it be done without the
restructuring of the South African and global economies that are built on
inequality and kept going by us acquiring more and more stuff that we don't
really need? And yet, can we now live
without upgrading our cell phones and computers, and the money and bank
accounts we need to service them? The examples are endless. We seemed to be trapped in complexity. Who
then can be saved?
In his book The Freedom of Simplicity Richard Foster
provides an important perspective.
"Christian simplicity," he says "lives in harmony with
the ordered complexity of life. It
repudiates easy, dogmatic answers to tough, intricate problems. In fact, it is this grace that frees us
sufficiently to appreciate and respond to the complex issues of contemporary
society." In other words, living
more simply does not mean escaping the complexities of life but learning to
cast off what is not important in responding to them. This is the work of grace enabling us to seek
first God's kingdom as we struggle to live responsibly amid the complexities of
modern life and respond, for example, to the environmental crisis facing us.
The gift of simplicity is
not cheap grace, but the grace of discipleship.
Brother Roger, the founder of Taizé, provides a clue to what this means in
the Rule he wrote for his community:
"Your availability implies continual simplification of your
existence, not by constraint, but by faith." Continual simplification, not because we are
commanded to simplify, but to make us more available for others. To live more simply then means following
Jesus in becoming and being more available for others irrespective of how
complex our lives may be. It is not just
a matter of shedding stuff we don't need, it is about what we do with what we
have, and how we relate to others, especially those in need.
Yet it never fails to amaze
me how it is often those who are poor who are the most generous. Jesus reminds us of this in his story of the
widow's mite. Most of those who put money in the Temple treasury box, Jesus
says, "contributed out of their abundance," but the widow, "out
of her poverty has put in everything she had." (Mark 12:41-44) Which
brings to mind what Jesus also said: "To whom much is given, much will be
required." (Lk. 12:48) This does not only refer to money, but to all other
gifts, skills and talents, time and resources, education and friendship,
solidarity in the struggle for justice, caring and compassionate living. And the paradox is not only that the more we
share the more we receive, but the more we become free. That old Shaker songwriter knew this to be
true. For the gift to be simple was at
the same time the gift to be free,. But
not just free in ourselves, or free from the cares of the world, but free to be
responsible, free to be for others, in a complex world..
John de Gruchy
Volmoed 8 September 2016
Live Simply.
Live Simply – as in uncomplicated?
Disengage from all that makes life complicated,
See things only in black and white,
Disregard greys, nuances, ifs and buts,
These complicate matters,
Simply head straight for the solution.
Live Simply – as in uncluttered?
Get rid of all peripheral things,
Which are? – don’t make it complicated –
get rid of all extras, things not useful,
decorations, art, music,
but we need those – really, need?
And get rid of all that belongs to the past,
all things being kept for a rainy day,
that extra car or house,
those extra books, paintings, photos,
letters from loved ones, other sentimental things,
simply unclutter your life.
Live simply – go back to a former, much simpler world.
Do away with all modern accoutrements,
They complicate life so,
Television, computers, cell phones,
Twitter, Facebook, E-mail,
Life was simpler then,
Go back.
Live simply – as in simple-minded?
Once open to endless vistas,
To a whole world of ideas, to complexity,
There is no going back,
shutting down,
the mind cannot return to being simple
once it knows a whole spectrum of possibilities.
Live Simply – as in single-minded?
As in one-track, or as in set on a single goal?
Not being drawn aside by anyone or anything,
Or heading in one direction
but having time for others along the way?
But is that being single-minded?
Live Simply – as in going for a simple life-style,
Not luxurious, but simply middle-of-the-road,
No luxuries, not the most expensive,
but the cheapest that will do,
not the top of the range, but the middle.
Do away with excellence?
Or with unnecessary ostentation and show.
No bettering the neighbours,
Only in being more simple.
Live Simply – can we?
Can we really, without a drastic life-style change,
Without giving away everything,
And becoming a monk or nun - or a hermit,
And do even these live simply today?
5.9.16
Isobel de Gruchy
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