Simplicity and the Subversion of Subtle Idolatry

photo © 2010 Andrei Bocan | more info (via: Wylio)

During the 46 days of Lent (well, in actuality my family celebrated the Resurrection on Saturday so we chose to feast with them then [45 days]) food often filled my thoughts.  Attempting to live on $2 a day meant that I craved Chipotle on a regular basis and wished that I could eat desserts and snacks that always seemed to be in the kitchen of our office at work.  One of the worst situations at work took place during a baby shower that was thrown for a staff member during lunch.  Foot-long pulled beef sandwiches!  Nope, just water and the gurgling of stomach acids.

What I found through the hunger pains, the bad moods, and the cravings was a God who purged me of my desire for things other than him.  Certainly, this purgatorial parenthesis in my otherwise consumptive life did not take full steps toward perfection as one might hope, but refinement certainly happened. The fire of self-denial led to a revelation of sorts: Consumption and comfort are not the greatest idols in my life… I am!  I want.  I need.  I.  I.  I.  Truly, without recognizing it before, my “I” moves to center stage of my priorities and God occupies the peripheral bleachers more often than I am proud of.  This perhaps became the greatest lesson of Lent.

Consider the following quote from Richard Foster from his book Celebration of Discipline:

The central point for the Discipline of simplicity is to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of his kingdom first and them everything necessary will come in its proper order.  It is impossible to overestimate the importance of Jesus’ insight at this point.  Everything hinges upon maintaining the “first” thing as first.  Nothing must come before the kingdom of God, including the desire for a simply life-style.  Simplicity itself becomes idolatry when it takes precedence over seeking the kingdom.[1]

This quote reminds me that the purpose of any spiritual discipline, Lenten or otherwise is seek the God whose Kingdom is forever.  In confronting some idols in my life, I am learning that such a task feels impossible a lot of the time.  Yet, in the midst of my inability to “get it right” all the time, in my lack of seeking the kingdom first each day, I am reminded from this simplicity journey that God’s grace only requires simple faith.  Faith that even when I am weak, that he is strong.  Faith that when I fail to be simple, that he doesn’t simply give up on me.

As I reflect on this experience, there is part of me that thinks: I could do it again.  And it is a real possibility that I will take up a similar discipline during another Lenten season.  At one point I contemplated making this an annual tradition but I fear that this could either become vain repetition or so easy that it would lose its effect.  One friend suggested that we ought to grow our own food in our backyard and then next Lent we could commit to living on the land.  Not sure that alley cats, worms, and garden veggies would tide me over for 46 days.  Something I do know is that I will take up Lent as a regular spiritual rhythm.

Subverting consumption and comfort through the spiritual discipline of simplicity continues to have an affect on me today.  Yes, I have gained back 5 of the 20 pounds that I lost, but the ongoing remembrance goes beyond my density.  I am determined to eat less and eat more simply on a regular basis.  For the entire period of Lent, even though I did not write it down as one of my stipulations, I did not eat meat.  In the past my attitude towards devouring dinner included the need for a meat product.  Without meat this isn’t dinner! I was quite wrong.  The pickiness that dominated my gorging no longer permeates my attitude toward food (well, not as much as it used to).  My hope is that God continues to remind me of this experience so that I may continue to grow towards simplicity.

Finally, I want to return to the thought about the kingdom of God and deliberate simplicity.  When the reign of God is first then everything falls into its proper place.  The more I live simply, the less I need.  The less I need, the more I can give.  The more I give, the less idols I cling to.  The less idols I cling to, the more of Jesus I experience.  Truly, “simplicity is freedom.”[2]

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