Simplicity
(BALANCING LIFE THROUGH
SIMPLICITY)
As strange as it might
sound, a lot of Franciscans wish to live a simpler life or at least balance
their lives a little more. In many cases, the simpler their life is … the
happier they can be. Today, it is very easy to be obsessed or addictive to
things that we like. We can shop too much or party too much or work too hard or
spend too much time on TV and electronic devices. It reaches the point that our
humanity loses something and we become frustrated with very little time to do
it all. It is like a candle being burnt at both ends. The world appears too
complicated and confusing when this happens. Something has to give or we might
lose major parts of our lives (things like failed marriages, family splits,
broken friendships, weaken faith, uncontrollable children or so much more).
I remember (as a child)
my family had one TV and one phone. Life was less wasteful, less stressful and
less complicated then; however, I am not suggesting that I want to live in the
1950s again. I would not like that. I would never want us to abandon our modern
advancements either. What I am talking about is finding a new balance and to
create more peace of mind within us and around us.
Yes, many things that
were created to make our life easier, secure, more entertaining and a lot more
comfortable can also seem (at times) to dominate our life. They can take
control of so much of our time, energy, money and thoughts. They try to form
our self-worth. They want to take ownership. We become the person with the best
computer or the person with the fanciest car or the best party person or the
hardest worker. Our identity merges with something that is not completely us.
As a consequence, our personal relationships are becoming less genuine and less
intimate with our loved ones and God. When we are gone from this world, we will
be remembered by our relationships – not by our processions or status or wealth
or our accomplishments. Francis said that we take nothing with us but what we
give. Sometimes what is important (our relationships) is not the simplest thing
to do when other stuff basically take ownership of us.
Let us understand the
difference between what we actually need in life and what we want. We need
food, water, clean air, a warm shelter, an income source, faith, education,
healthcare, transportation, and relationships (that bring us love and
security). Because of the modern western culture, life might require more than
this in order to have personal dignity and respect in our society. That is
okay. However our egos sometimes want much more, to the point that we can be
excessive or wasteful. When we lessen the gap between our needs and our wants,
we become more human and more alive. We also have more time for what we truly
value the most (family, God and close friends – in other words, our
relationships).
Let us admit that we can
be excessive at times. For example, electronic devices can control a lot of our
day in unnecessary ways. However, let us have a high regard for “person to
person” interactions where we can pick up on body language and facial
expressions when communicating. Email and texting can be useful but face to
face communication produces lasting memories. Let us not eliminate too much of
that.
When you feel you cannot
live without something that you might want (but not actually need as a life
necessity for surviving) then that is when it has some ownership over you. When
it hurts to eliminate it then that is when it has control of you.
Several years ago during
Lent I decided to go without TV for 40 days for my fasting. It was so very hard
because my TV viewing had become a constant habit that went way beyond an
occasional hour or two of entertainment. I had to have the TV on so there would
be some noisy in the house. I was not appreciating the benefits of being alone
within quietness to hear my personal thoughts and listening for that soft voice
of God’s spirits moving me into action. After that Lent Season, Easter began a
moderation of my TV viewing and I had more quality time to build up my
relationships, to pray and to experience peaceful quietness within me and
around me.
One of my most favorite
gospel quotes is from MT. 19:24, “It is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
the kingdom of God”. George M. Lamsa (an expert on Aramaic)
believes that the Aramaic word for camel was misinterpreted for the very
similar Aramaic word for rope. In order for a rope to go through the eye of a
needle you must unravel its threads. You must eliminate the excess. Also, there
was a hole in the wall of Jerusalem called the “Eye of the Needle”.
To get through it you would have to leave your excess baggage behind.
Let us simplify ourselves
to be a strong thread of humanity with faith. All our possessions or our
personal status or our wealth does not help us with our simplicity if it
becomes our identity. Wanting things is not evil in itself but we need to do
something when we reach the point where things interfere with our loving
relationships with God and others … let us simplify our lives (and humble
ourselves) by balancing our needs and our wants.
D.
Crone
PRAYER BEFORE THE CROSS
Most High & Glorious
God,
Enlighten the darkness
of my heart,
And give me:
A correct faith
A certain hope
A perfect charity
With sense and knowledge
So that I may carry out
your holy and true command.
AMEN
(St. Francis of Assisi)
QUESTIONS:
1 What contributes to
make your world more complicated?
2 Is anything attempting
to control your life - obsessions - habits - addictions (like smoking) - compulsions?
3 Do you feel that you
do not have enough time for family and God? Why?
4 Do you find yourself
on electronic devices a lot - TV - computers - I-pads - texting on the phone?
5 How can you have more
quality time for face to face relationships?
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