Living Simply - Why it's important
 

One of my favorite quotes from Gandhi is "Live Simply so that others might simply live." It's been a motto I've tried to follow for years, even before I knew it was from Gandhi. I learned it best in the Catholic Worker movement.

Most Americans have no comprehension of why Gandhi talked about living simply. This Global Village piece helps me to understand. Americans while only being about 15% of the world's population (at most) consume approximately 75% of the worlds resources. No matter how we might wish it, we can never bring the world up to our standard of living. Thus the importance of simplifying our own lives. If you think you live simply, take a look at this:

What if the world were a village of 100 people?

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this. There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere (North andSouth America)
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non white, 30 white
70 would be non-Christian, 30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual, 11 homosexual
59% of the entire world's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people and all 6 would be citizens of the United States
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death, 1 would be near birth
Only 1 would have a college education and
Only 1 would own a computer.

Do you think legalization of marijuana, distribution of heroin or injection rooms would be on top of the agenda in such a global village?
With 70 out of 100 being unable to read, with 50 out of 100 suffering from malnutrition, and only one out of 100 having a college education, the directors of Snake Oil Ltd. would be out of business or stoned because they wouldn't know how to handle the situation, very much in the same way as they don't know how to handle the drug problems today.

We would need sober people, focusing on the real problems, to run the global village as we need sober people, focusing on the real problems, to develop any nation today.

Originally published in 1990
 

The Global Village was originally published by a woman named Donella Meadows in 1990. Some of the data needs updating, like the stat that only one person would own a computer. With 6 billion people in the world, that only accounts for 600,000 computers. An article at Intel states that currently 10% of the world's population either owns or has regular access to a computer.

The other stat I questioned was the literacy rate. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the world's literacy rate was 77.4 percent in 1995.

Despite my desire to see an updated and more accurate version of the Global Village, I don't want to distract from the greater truth here -- that being what Kara wrote about the importance of simple living to counter economic injustice (which Dr. King proclaimed as one of the three evils.)

As a middle-class Christian, I read Jesus's words in Matthew chapter 19 about riches and I immediately think about all the people who are wealthy and how they need to hear those words. But then I realize that I am only thinking about America, while God views the whole world. And when God views the whole world, we middle-class Americans quickly rise to the top percentage of wealthy humans. It is shocking, but the passage in Matthew could easily read:

"Truly I tell you, it will be hard for most Americans to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a middle-to-upper-class American to enter the kingdom of God."

Jamie: Excellent thinking on that. I do suspect most of us have numbed ourselves to just how luxurous our lives are compared to the vast majority. I've been thinking that if there were an interest, I could use the curriculum that was developed by Alternatives for Simple Living and that I tweaked down to a seven session workshop to help folks with the issues of $$$$ and Spirituality. Please let me know if people would find a seven session on line workshop and discussion helpful to them. Kara

I'm copying below what is part of the first session of a workshop I lead called $$$$ and Spirituality. It might be an intriguing online dialogue. I would be happy to put Session II up, if the questions in this session create any dialogue. This is a topic that rarely is talked about in churches, but very important to our spiritual journeys. Kara

Opening prayer

“God, bless me with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that You will live deep in my heart. God, bless me with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people and the earth so that I will work for justice, equality, and peace. God, bless me with tears to shed for those who suffer so that I will reach out my hand to comfort them and change their pain into joy. God, bless me with the foolishness to think that I can make a difference in the world, so that I will do the things which others say cannot be done. Amen”(Richard Rohr, OFM)

Scripture readings for Session 1:
Isaiah 58: 6-10

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe that one, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and God will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”

Acts 4:32-35

The community of believers was of one mind and one heart. None of them claimed anything as their own; rather, everything was held in common. The apostles continue to testify with great power to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and they were all given great respect.

Nor was anyone needy among them, for those who owned property or houses would see them and give the money to the apostles. It was then distributed to any members who might be in need.

1 Timothy 6: 6-10

There is, of course, great benefit in religion, but only for those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, nor have we the power to take anything out. If we have food and clothing, we have all that we need.

Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and a trap. They are letting themselves be captured by foolish and harmful desires which draw us down to ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. Some people, in their passion for it, have strayed from faith and have come to grief amid great pain.


QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

1) The subject of $$$ is touched upon more than almost any other subject in Scripture. After hearing just these few scripture verses, how would you define “God’s Intent” concerning our money, wealth, possessions?

2) How do these verses relate to your own attitudes about money and wealth?

3) How does having or not having money make you feel about yourself or others?


Closing Prayer:

Deliver Me

From the cowardice that dares not face new truths,

From the laziness that is contented with half truths,

From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,

Good Lord deliver me

- Bread for Tomorrow, Kenya

some further thoughts on living simply
 

I've been hoping for some dialogue on this topic, but so far there has been none, but I'm still hopeful. I've recently stumbled on a wonderful website that I want to share with people. the URL is http://www.simpleliving.net/default.asp

I found this interesting article on simple living that I want to share and hopefully hear from others as to their thoughts:"



Here are some questions for which Simplicity is still a great answer...

How can I have time for what is important to me?

What can middle class folks do about economic injustice?

I always have more month than money -- how can I get out of debt?

I want to do something for the earth (in my copious spare time)... what can I do?

I just had a baby. My boss wants me back now. How can I afford to be a mom?

My wife and I both work. We have no time for lovin'. What's the answer?
The Simplicity Forum is an invitational leadership alliance of academics and authors, activist and artists, educators and entrepreneurs who seek to promote simplicity in our work, and seek to practice it in our lives. We are working together to honor simple, just and sustainable ways of life.

Simplicity is a growing trend in the United States and other industrial countries. Millions of people (by some estimates over 50 million) are trying to slow down, work meaningfully, be engaged in relationships, family and community, get out of debt and reduce wasteful consumption. Each of them feels alone. All of them do what they can as individuals in a commercial climate pushing them to consume more. The Simplicity Forum honors these valiant personal efforts -- and intends to organize this invisible constituency to actively work towards changing both the culture and the policies that drive over-work and over-consumption.

alright Kara, I will admit that some of the issues you raise have been on my mind, if only on a personal level. In preparing for Christmas, I have been struck by the over-consumption, especially as I try to figure out what to give my youngest child. I'd like to think that the ex-wife has given him way too much to compensate for my departure from the house (not the children's lives though) but the truth is that he has always had more toys than he can actually play with. I really don't see the need to add toys to his over-abundance. I am feeling somewhat extorted by family expectations, etc, to give generously, eventhough there's nothing he needs. Toys that he may want will meet the same fate as the ones he already owns: sitting there taking up space.

So what is the answer? Where does one begin?

Dear Keltic: I've had the same experience with my grand kids and my answer has been that I give them "special adventures," as opposed to gifts. I've taken the kids kayaking, on train rides, to special museums and each time I buy them a small keepsake from the trips. The kids seem to enjoy the special trips. After a number of years, it's getting harder and harder to come up with original ideas, but so far so good. kara