Complicating Simplicity
Whether we choose to spend a devoted hour in silence, or we meditate on scripture, or read from a daily devotional, or go and serve the poor, all disciplines call us to holy attention through the body, mind, and spirit. Where we struggle is in over-complicating spiritual disciplines turning them into structures that become task masters. We may continue to add practice upon practice thinking if a little is a good thing, then more must be better. Yet eventually it feels like nothing more than burden.
Our over-complication of spirituality is due in part to the tremendous availability and accessibility to an endless array of resources, not only in print, but in broadcast, podcast, webinar, downloadable, live-stream-able content. It can leave us dizzy with possibilities and confused by what is the best choice, the best cause, the best answer for the troubled soul. We have the potential for spiritual overload, over-informing and tempting us to a new practice or perspective, but in reality, tempting us away from the living God and the simple presence of Divine Love.
It's not easy to strip down to the soul, to “take nothing for the journey,” as Jesus instructed the disciples who went out to share their stories of encountering the Good News in human form.
Our props for prayer, awareness, insights and wisdom may become our stumbling block if we loose sight of the Giver of it all. Really all we need is a willing spirit and a listening ear. But occasionally putting away our devotional books, our journals, our art supplies, our prayer mats or other tools we call upon for soul-care may leave us feeling vulnerable. Yet in that vulnerability we become dependent solely and simply upon the grace of God to lead us and fill us. And this is a beautiful place to be.
Simplicity is foundational to all spiritual practices. To Martha, the over-worked, resentful sister of Mary, Jesus said, “Only one thing is needed.” He never explicitly says what that one thing is, and he does not say there that there is only one way, but he points to Mary sitting and listening at his feet as an example of a better way of being. Whether it’s creating hospitality, or meditating on the Word, or any other spiritual practice, there’s really only one thing needed to be in partnership with Jesus—an open, listening, present attention to Divine Love. And this is expressed in ways unique to every human being, whether we are busy serving, or sitting still and silent.
FOR SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: What is the condition of your spiritual practices these days? Have they become over-complicated, demanding in some way, or dry? What “props” might you need to set aside for a time to offer yourself more freely to the movement of the Spirit within you? What is the “one thing” that God is inviting you to consider today?
