Recently I revisited an old friend, the book Simple Living by Frank Levering and Wanda Urbanska. Every once in a blue moon I feel the need to remind myself of what’s important to me, what I want out of life, my ‘grand scheme of things’ goals and part of that for me is reading books by people with similar views/goals/ideals/lifestyles. Each time I re-read my favorites I find something new that strikes me as poignant depending on what has been going on in my life, the world, etc. The following is what spoke to me most this past week…
“Ralph maintained that coffins, as well as funerals, should be simple and inexpensive. ‘Father believed that what money we had was a gift from God,’ Sam once told us, ‘and that we should not waste it on ourselves. There were very many useful ways in which money could be used – that helped other people, that helped make the world a better place.’ “ - page 249 Simple Living
In this time of economy crashes, mass consumerism, and financial crisis it seems that the majority of western culture doesn’t have its priorities right. The whole Robin Hood complex of steal from the rich and give to the poor is missing and I think that’s incredibly unfortunate… not that I would encourage stealing, I think there are better ways, but it’s the principle of the matter. The culture we live in allows, even encourages mass consumption, gorging ourselves on food riches luxury cars… For some reason I was able to avoid that mindset.
I grew up on Long Island. We used to laugh at the idiots with the tricked out trucks, utility tires, 4 wheel drive, the works… also the gas guzzlers… on the best kept, plowed (if it ever snowed more than an inch), flat roads I’ve ever seen. Did they think they were tough? Four years ago I moved to western NY, to the poorest county in the state where people don’t have money for the vehicles they do need, where many roads aren’t paved let alone plowed. There isn’t public transit like there is in the city, the nearest town is often at least 5 miles away, and people make ends meet. Last year I went to the third world country of Tanzania… if moving to a poor rural area wasn’t enough of a wake up this simply shook my world. In American standards the people live with nothing… that’s a rant for a different day… but I have never seen a happier more fulfilled people. Yes I’d give anything to see such a beautiful people healthier, with decent shelter, medical care, and clean water. Oh I’d give everything I have to provide a village with clean water… hmmm maybe I will.
I’m not suggesting that everyone have the same amount of money… and such, but I think that this comes down to a problem with distribution of wealth stemming from a heart issue. You know that saying, ‘you can’t help the poor by being poor.’? I get it. It makes sense. We live in a time where money talks, it’s a necessary evil. Why aren’t people giving then? Why aren’t needs being met? Here’s what I think the deal is… We’re living too large. I didn’t grow up with much, yet I had an incredibly happy childhood. I had everything that I NEEDED, not necessarily everything I wanted, but I was never without. The best part was that when we did have a little more, it was super special and we enjoyed it more than anything. It was a simple life, but a wonderful one. Why can’t we all live smaller? Life with luxury is not necessarily a bad thing at all; it’s the gross excess that is the problem! Let that excess go to bless someone else! Fund a community program, donate to a food-bank, do something personal… anything. One of my most precious memories is finding a bag of groceries on our doorstep as a child. It was just the basic necessities, but it was an overwhelming blessing, I knew even as a little kid that things were tight… we never knew who left that bag, but just think… 17 years later and it still sticks with me.
What kind of impact could you have on a life, just by cutting back a little bit? I’m not talking some radical change. Things take time. Me? Well I work a job that just pays the bills, extra odd jobs to pay for art supplies… but in the next few years I’ll be making more money, but I intend on living on the same budget. That extra money… that will go towards blessing someone else, it’s not mine to keep. If God has given me more than I need to live, well its there for a reason; it’s there to be passed on to someone who needs it. God provided for me all these years through the love of other people, it is my turn to do the same. Maybe I will get that village the clean water… that’s what I can hope for. Care to join me?
