Tower and Town, March 2024 (view the full edition)Simplicity & StewardshipSimplicity is quite complex when you think about it. To some people it can seem disturbing. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I ought to explain why it is my topic, why the title has "and stewardship", and why it is important to our lives today. Quakers maintain a set of values, values which form the core of Quaker belief. Three of these may seem obvious; they are Truth, Equality and Peace. The fourth, my topic, may need some explanation. Quakers believe a simple lifestyle, freely chosen, is a source of strength. Quakers believe that we do not own the world and its riches are not ours to dispose of at will. There you have it, simplicity in life and stewardship in consideration of all creatures and maintaining the beauty and variety of the World. George Fox founded the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers in the 1650s. Fox himself as a young man sought simplicity; for him it was a response to the turmoil, political and religious, into which he was born. Aged one when Charles I became king, his education had the King James Bible at its core. He then had to contend with "a world turned upside down" by revolution. Simplicity and the belief that nothing should come between him and his God provided a structure for Quaker society. Simplicity is a source of strength, but by itself it is not enough. In our own turbulent times stewardship is important; a concern for the world in which we live, a recognition that, whilst we may limit our possessions, we cannot shrug off our responsibilities. In today's world this is often expressed by a concern for the environment. I noted earlier that Quakers hold four core values: Truth, Equality, Peace and Simplicity & Stewardship. It is clear to me that you cannot achieve a life in accordance with any one of these alone. They are truly intertwined. To live simply and responsibly needs truth to be spoken, all to be treated equally, and peace as the only stable framework. Not easy to live up to. But if on the global scale these values today seem lacking, individuals may find that they have relevance to themselves. Inner peace and peace in dealing with others, strengthened by a willingness to embrace equality and a truthful way of life are achievable goals and one can reach that state with simplicity and concern for others. I said that simplicity was complex. Tom Massey |