| THE REAL ANSWER
TO SIMPLER LIVING Many people have begun to realize that there
is something wrong with the way we live; that it is no longer fulfilling
and, in many cases, is leading to serious personal and social problems
– even medical problems. Many have a sense that there is a better way to live.
Some turn to the "good old days", remembering
when life seemed simpler. They are partly right. Life was simpler because
there were fewer things to deal with, issues were less complex and the pace
of life was much slower. But there were still serious problems with
life in the past.
Others feel the answer is to "drop out" and isolate
oneself from the world. That would be great, but it is very self-centered and
not really a permanent solution for anyone – and usually beyond the reach of
all but the very wealthy.
The problems we face in our day are of our own doing. We
are the ones who tolerate dishonesty, license, mindless entertainment. There is little likelihood of turning
back the clock unless there is a significant change in people's shared values
and priorities; those of faith, family, property and respect for traditional
values. But why are we here if not to life the quality of life
necessary to promote
These changes involve a fundamental
shift in our expectations and lifestyles and will require the combined and dedicated influence of large
numbers of people. It took generations to accumulate the errors of secularism and liberal thinking
and it will take several generations to reverse the slide.
We have to accept a less lavish and self-indulgent
lifestyle. We must reject materialism and excess consumerism, cutting back
to the necessities. We have to eliminate commuting and live in the
communities in which we work.
This may mean abandoning large cities for small towns and
rural settings for many. We have to make fewer demands for services on
government. Government will remain big and consume more and more resources
until we wean ourselves from extras and return to doing them for ourselves
and others.
We have to share our resources and time with those who are
less fortunate so that everyone is able to get out of
debt and own their own property. Until we can be more generous, we will all remain captives as a result
of our collective selfishness.
Most importantly, we have to become strong in our faith
and share a communal spirit with others, making our communities the center of
our activities and interests.
But we must also steer clear of the horrible enslavement
that other communal systems impose on people by force –
i.e. communism. It must be a voluntary system based entirely on good will.
This was the sort of community that early Christians lived.
Of course, the whole thing falls apart if anyone becomes selfish. But, when
we are called to live like angels, is our reaction to the misdeeds of demons
for all of us to become demons as well? That's precisely why we are in the trouble we
are in today. While we are waiting for a miracle to
happen, perhaps we could try for more practical actions or "little steps",
like cleaning out junk and organizing our lives for simplicity, dumping the
cell phone and being more friendly and helpful to our neighbors.
Take a lower paying job in a small community and plan for low-stress living
and limited consumption. In other words, if we claim we are Christian,
we should start to live with the values we claim to believe in and live more
like the early Christians. |
