Calvary Episcopal Church
Memphis, Tennessee
THE CHRONICLE
April 18, 2004
Vol. 49, No. 16

Spring Cleaning Or Simplicity?
Spring cleaning is really an exercise of dipping our toe into the waters of simplicity.
When we first begin to think about simplicity, we leap headlong into the pool of
possessions. We recognize the clutter of things around us and feel certain that if we could quickly purge our spaces of all that is unnecessary we would have a simpler life. Simplicity, however, goes far beyond the purging of material possessions. It applies to every aspect of life. Ridding life of unnecessary personal possessions is a way to slip into simplicity, but it is only one small element in the bigger enterprise of sinking into a life of significance and meaning. The hand of simplicity must reach into all the nooks and crannies of life – time, thoughts, information gathering, roles, responsibilities, emotions, even one’s past. This makes simplicity easy to talk about and difficult to do. It is not easy to be simple. Accumulation is a constant in human experience — it is as easy as falling into a cool lake on a hot summer afternoon. Accumulation occurs even when we keep a strong check on material acquisitiveness. The truth is that we live in an abundant universe, we are loved and cared for by an abundant Creator, and we are complex creatures formed with an abundance of potential and possibility. The real goal of simplicity is to learn to trust in the abundance yet not be attached to it.

Embracing simplicity makes it possible for life to become uncomplicated enough so
that the mind can become clear, revealing what is truly important and fulfilling. It
helps clarify the reality of ownership in life: what we own, who/what owns us, what duties snare us, what skills claim us, what passions possess us. Such clarity makes it possible for us to make choices for truly living rather than only half-living. One of the early desert fathers, Abba Moses said to his disciples, “Sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.” That is a bit austere for 21st Century America, but there is a principle in that advice that should not be lost. Because our lives are filled to the brim with things, people, responsibilities, demands, time commitments, emotions, questions, passions we seldom experience the luxury of seeing what is really deep within us. When the pot of our life is continually stirred with complexity we move through life at a slow boiling point. We end up feeling like a mixed-up 14-bean soup, rather than a cool clear glass of water over ice, or a sage green, soft, smooth slice of avocado. The desert father’s advice reminds us of the importance of ‘singularity’ in coming to an understanding of what it means to be truly human, truly alive.

Singularity makes it possible for us to live on the edge of miracle. When we are too preoccupied with managing life on a daily – even minute-to-minute — basis we face the danger of missing the miracles that occur right before our eyes. Spring cleaning may make us feel lighter in regard to our possessions, but simplicity awakens us to the miraculous provision of God always around us – always unfolding before us – always reminding us of God's great love.

Renee Miller+

(Return to Top)