The Gift of Simplicity
Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer
Some 250 years ago the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, a.k.a. The Shakers, settled in America. The sect was an offshoot of English Quakers founded by Ann Lee and known for their communal living, celibacy, pacifism, emphasis on simplicity in all aspects of life, and ecstatic worship. Since worship included shaking (thus the popular name), dancing, and speaking in tongues, it is not surprising that the following dancing song, “Simple Gifts,” gained great popularity. It also gained popularity outside the Shaker communities as illustrated by Aaron Copland’s magnificent orchestral work, “Appalachian Spring.”
Simple Gifts[1]
By Joseph Brackett
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,
‘Tis the gift to come down where I ought to be;
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed;
to turn, turn, will be my delight.
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
We need simplicity to combat the chaos of our world, both inner and outer. Many years ago, I read Richard Foster’s The Freedom of Simplicity. I remember that he defined simplicity not as the opposite of complexity but of duplicity. And that idea of a singleness of focus, purpose, and desire makes imminent sense in spiritual formation, “[T]he intentional process of growing in character and faith, aligning one’s inner life and outward actions to reflect life in God.”[2] This is true because God is simple. There is no duplicity in Him, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6:4).
In truth, God is complex, beyond our understanding in His complexity. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isah. 55:8-9). But He never wavers from who He is, He is never two-faced, or changeable, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22-23).
The Apostle Paul recognized that, even when we humans deeply desire it, we can never escape the taint of duplicity in this world. In Romans 7:21-25 he wrote:
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
How neatly he sums up the creeping, insidious double-mindedness of people in a fallen world.
But that is not the end of the matter. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1-2). We obtain simplicity, not through our great efforts at single-mindedness, but as a gift. Paul, in Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that our salvation, including simplicity as one of its attributes, is a gift, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” And again, in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
While it is true that we will not escape some measure of double-mindedness in this world and that simplicity is a gift, it is also true that we can strive toward being single-minded, focused, and more like Christ day by day. We can enjoy the gift of simplicity and use it wisely as we seek to live as growing Cross Disciples. There are many ways to express this joy. You don’t have to dance like a Shaker to show the world that you are one with Christ, but maybe a few dance steps now and then to show your delight might just be a good idea.
(Photo credit: R. A. Stites, moon at sunset, Mt. Hebron Park, Rogers, AR)
[1] Source: ‘Tis the gift to be simple | Hymnary.org
[2] Source: What is spiritual formation?
