Monday, December 12, 2005
I need a house & the devil at noonday....
Oy vey! I am very much wanting "Downward Mobility". To "live simply".
I fear very much that somehow we have our eyes on the prize of living simply, that we believe Less is More.. but it is as if we are doing everything in our power to run the opposite way, believing that by running from what we want we are somehow achieving it!
yikes.
A desert Father once said that the devil majored in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If nothing else, the noise has grown louder, the pace of life faster, and the crowds larger. Life is filled with stress and demands and worry.
I recently read an article in the journal First Things, written by R.R. Reno, entitled "Fighting the Noonday Devil." The spiritual state of acedia means to be "without care." This sound pretty good, but what it means is that we don't care about anything. We don't have the energy or drive to pray, we don't care to fast, we don't care to read Scriptures; we don't care to attend the services of the Church.
How many of us have experienced this state?
Reflecting on the sin of acedia, the writer makes the following insightful observation of how a sorrowful state of the spirit has become a cultural value:
"Most of us want to be left alone so that we can get on with our lives. Most of us want to be safe. We want to find a cocoon, a spiritually, psychologically, economically, and physically gated community in which to live without danger or disturbance.
The carefree life, a life a-cedia (without care) is our cultural idea. Pride may be at the root of all evil, but in our day, the trunk, branches, and leaves of evil are characterized by a belief that moral responsibility, spiritual effort,and religious disciple are empty burdens,ineffective and archaic demands that cannot lead us forward, inaccessible ideals that, even if we believe in them, are beyond our capacity."
Is this true? Is living a carefree life our highest priority? Our birthright as Americans is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and we will not be denied.
"The problem is that happiness forever eludes us no matter how much money we have or how many gadgets we hold in our hand. But we continue to strive because we will not give up the idea that happiness means getting ahead, and that means a bigger house, (or a HOUSE) a promotion, a nicer car - maybe two cars, more gadgets, nicer clothes, a secure retirement package, and so on.
To gain a carefree life, we enter a world of care. We enter the ranks of the sifted, the overworked, the tired, the anxious, the indebted, and the stressed."
Almost daily I'm asking my wife to not work. Yes the money is nice. But I have books and books that I've not read, I have enough theology to read and sci fi and fantasy to read that I could go a few years without more books! (GASP!)
My wife gets mad at me when I suggest she quit. I said to her tonite:
"why are you upset that I want to spend time with you? I didn't marry you to not see you for 5 out of 7 nights, nor to see you sleep an hour or two after I get home..."
"Don't you realize I could be asking you to work more? I could be catting around, enjoying this freedom, living an evil life on the downlow? be happy I'm always asking you to quit."
Sigh. I want it now. I want a simpler life. I want downward mobility. I want to live near work and work near my Church.
The Father my Hope, the Son my Refuge, the Holy Spirit my Protection. All Holy Trinity Glory to you!
I fear very much that somehow we have our eyes on the prize of living simply, that we believe Less is More.. but it is as if we are doing everything in our power to run the opposite way, believing that by running from what we want we are somehow achieving it!
yikes.
A desert Father once said that the devil majored in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If nothing else, the noise has grown louder, the pace of life faster, and the crowds larger. Life is filled with stress and demands and worry.
I recently read an article in the journal First Things, written by R.R. Reno, entitled "Fighting the Noonday Devil." The spiritual state of acedia means to be "without care." This sound pretty good, but what it means is that we don't care about anything. We don't have the energy or drive to pray, we don't care to fast, we don't care to read Scriptures; we don't care to attend the services of the Church.
How many of us have experienced this state?
Reflecting on the sin of acedia, the writer makes the following insightful observation of how a sorrowful state of the spirit has become a cultural value:
"Most of us want to be left alone so that we can get on with our lives. Most of us want to be safe. We want to find a cocoon, a spiritually, psychologically, economically, and physically gated community in which to live without danger or disturbance.
The carefree life, a life a-cedia (without care) is our cultural idea. Pride may be at the root of all evil, but in our day, the trunk, branches, and leaves of evil are characterized by a belief that moral responsibility, spiritual effort,and religious disciple are empty burdens,ineffective and archaic demands that cannot lead us forward, inaccessible ideals that, even if we believe in them, are beyond our capacity."
Is this true? Is living a carefree life our highest priority? Our birthright as Americans is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and we will not be denied.
"The problem is that happiness forever eludes us no matter how much money we have or how many gadgets we hold in our hand. But we continue to strive because we will not give up the idea that happiness means getting ahead, and that means a bigger house, (or a HOUSE) a promotion, a nicer car - maybe two cars, more gadgets, nicer clothes, a secure retirement package, and so on.
To gain a carefree life, we enter a world of care. We enter the ranks of the sifted, the overworked, the tired, the anxious, the indebted, and the stressed."
Almost daily I'm asking my wife to not work. Yes the money is nice. But I have books and books that I've not read, I have enough theology to read and sci fi and fantasy to read that I could go a few years without more books! (GASP!)
My wife gets mad at me when I suggest she quit. I said to her tonite:
"why are you upset that I want to spend time with you? I didn't marry you to not see you for 5 out of 7 nights, nor to see you sleep an hour or two after I get home..."
"Don't you realize I could be asking you to work more? I could be catting around, enjoying this freedom, living an evil life on the downlow? be happy I'm always asking you to quit."
Sigh. I want it now. I want a simpler life. I want downward mobility. I want to live near work and work near my Church.
The Father my Hope, the Son my Refuge, the Holy Spirit my Protection. All Holy Trinity Glory to you!
