12 Witnesses

As always, check out the other articles from those folks blogging the spiritual disciplines at Words Are Not Enough, live from New Orleans; aka Joe Kennedy’s blog.

Simplicity.

Hmm. Frankly I’ve never really pursued simplicity. It is not that I don’t think it worthy. Just the opposite. I think the simplistic lifestyle is a very worthy pursuit. Just not one to which I have given myself.

Full disclosure, here. I’m an 80’s guy. High School and College - all of my independence and self growth - took place during the decade that was known for its self indulgence. To say that I am a product of my culture is a no brainer.

That is not to say, however, that I am for the indulgence of my personal whims. Quite the opposite. In the last decade, my wife and I have not purchased things that we very much wanted because we could not afford them. We are working our way out of debt, and are making some real headway, I might say. Those who are self indulgent do not say “no” to their whims.

That’s not quite “Simplicity” though, is it? Simplicity is not about choosing the “goody” that it most wants and leaving the others behind. Simplicity is about leaving aside things that complicate your life with desire, demands on your time and attention - things that make you complex.

I am all for not loving the things of the world. 1 John 2:15 - “Do not love the world, nor anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Nevertheless, I am drawn to complexity like a moth to flame. I love my Treo, XBOX, Laptop, iPod and everything that I can hook these things up to or use to micromanage my life or fill it with things. Often, these things are not inherently “wrong.” The only games on my XBOX are sports; the songs on my iPod are almost exclusively Christian; I use my laptop to blog, but also to write sermons and prepare the outline/power point for them; my Treo is my link to church members, calendar of meetings, contacts and more.

As I said, they are not “wrong” in and of themselves, but is the complexity they bring, and that I so enjoy, what is best for my life in Christ?

I fill up my time so much that I am often exhausted. When I am tired, I make poor decisions and I am not compassionate. I have become so busy juggling my life that I fear slowing down. You see, to drop what I have fought so long to keep in the air goes against the nature I have trained into myself. I’ve spent a long time learning to juggle this life. I have invested money as well as effort in the ability to stay as busy as I am. Frankly, it’s a habit that I enjoy and I can’t necessarily say is a sin, so I have a hard time thinking that I should not only start letting phone calls go, but actually turning off my phone. What? No email? What if someone needs me?

As a result of this lifestyle, I often need a nap, yet seldom get one. I often need to look on others with refreshed eyes that see God at work, but look on them with eyes that don’t really have time to take in the fullness of the picture before me - so many other things need my attention. I often need to think clearly, but the demands of the massive amounts of information clutter my thoughts and confuse me.

I am not good at simplicity, but perhaps I should be.

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