simplicity

pale pink camellia, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

This morning in Quaker Meeting we considered the value of simplicity. I thought my readers might enjoy seeing the queries that go along with that value:

Simplicity

Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center… a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time.
~ thomas r. kelly, testament of devotion, 1941

A life centered in God will be directed toward keeping communication with God open and unencumbered. Simplicity is best achieved through a right ordering of priorities, maintaining humility of spirit, avoiding self-indulgence, resisting the accumulation of unnecessary possessions, and avoiding over-busy lives.

Elise Boulding writes in My Part in the Quaker Adventure,
“ Simplicity, beauty, and happiness go together if they are a byproduct of a concern for something more important than ourselves.”

• Do I center my life in an awareness of God’s presence so that all things take their rightful place?

• Do I live simply, and promote the right sharing of the world’s bounty?

• Do I keep my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light?

• How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work?

• Do I recognize when I have enough?

• Is the life of our Meeting so ordered that it helps us to simplify our lives?