|
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I look to you for the basic necessities of life. May I rejoice in the goods things of sky and earth. Convict me wherein I might be attached to material things or in any way act from greed. Grant me grace to enjoy giving blessings as much as I enjoy receiving blessings. In Christ’s Name, Amen.
Comments
Even as we get travel tips for traveling, these tips might apply to spiritual pilgrimage. The following story, a Hasidic one from the late 1800s, offers one such workable tip.
A tourist visits the famous polish rabbi Hafez Hayyim’s home. The tourist is amazed to see that the rabbi's home is just a simple room filled with books, one table, and a bench. The tourist inquires, "Rabbi, where is your furniture?" Rabbi Hayyim replies, "Where is your furniture?" "Mine?" says the tourist. “But I'm only a visitor here." "So am I," said the rabbi.
One of the most difficult spiritual practices to adhere to in our culture of entitlement is simplicity. The Gospel gives us Jesus’ warning about assigning too much importance to material things, in St. Luke 12 (The Message):
13Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance." 14He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?" 15Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."
|
|
16-19Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!' 20"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?'
21"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."
Recently, I was asked the nature of simplicity as a spiritual practice. The best thing I could come up with was about our relationship with things. Simplicity is not so much how much of material goods one has; rather, simplicity is principally about our relationship with material goods. One can be unattached to many goods and use them for the honor of the Spirit and to help other persons; another person can have little of material goods, live greedily and clinging to them, and lack all evidence of generosity.
Scripture Meditation
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
—Psalm 42.1, ESV
How would you define simplicity? What is your relationship with material goods? Do you feel a call to simplify your life? Are there certain objects in your life that you tend to be attached to more than other objects? How does simplicity apply to the use of time? Use of money? Relationships with other persons?
*First edition, August 30, 2001; Second and Expanded edition, August 7, 2006
|
