Choosing Simplicity

What is simplicity? Is it asceticism or minimalism? Simplicity is a core Quaker value. Simplicity is related to but not the same as the testimony of plainness which is not cited as often these days. I will be using Diogenes of Sinope as an example mainly for his colorful short stories. Diogenes was a philosopher of a group known as Cynics who valued simplicity. Cynics literally means dogs. Some say he was the founder of the Cynics. He is also shameless in the most profound way, which I do not advocate.

Diogenes was moving to Athens and wrote ahead for a man to buy a cottage for him. When the man took too long, Diogenes realized he could just live in a wine cask and did not need the responsibility of owning a home.[i] You might call it an urn or a barrel, but what it amounted to was a large container just big enough to get inside.

Jesus also did not have a house. The Gospel of Matthew reports “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ (Matthew 8:20).

It was not that no one would take Jesus in, for many sheltered him under their roofs, but rather that Jesus chose an itinerant lifestyle. Many, particularly Jesus’s own family, would have loved for him to set up shop and stay there permanently. People around him would become powerful by proximity and soon the healing he gave away for free would be a commodity. Jesus would have gained security, but his mission would be corrupted.

Getting a house is a big deal for many people. It meant a lot to me. The responsibility for repairs and upkeep never goes away. You may pay off your loan, but there’s always insurance, the water heater, plumbing and more. Beyond that it’s even more work when it’s time to sell.

Simplicity in housing can open you up to interdependence with others. Too much debt and/or payments can be a millstone around your neck.

It is said that one day Margaret Fell showed up for worship in a red dress and was called out for it. She called it a “silly and poor gospel” for focusing on clothes.[ii]

George Fox on the other hand warned, “mind that which is sober and modest, and keep to your plain fashions, that you may judge the world’s vanity and spirit, in its vain fashions, and show a constant spirit in the truth and plainness.”[iii]

Quakers have distinguished themselves by the clothes they wear, especially pre-1800s. Do your clothes set you apart? One day I was going through my closet and I noticed something. I turned to my friend Jason and I remarked, “Almost none of my clothes have logos on them.” He told me, “You have internalized the testimony of plainness.” Without realizing it I had been choosing clothes without clear branding. This was significant for me because pursuit of brands is a hallmark of the middle class. Clothing can be simple and plain or just one or the other.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus remarked “And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these” (6:28-29). Nature can provide a guide for what is simple.

According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “the Cynic conception of ethics is that virtue is a life lived in accord with nature. Nature offers the clearest indication of how to live the good life.”[iv] To live following nature is to be simple or plain to the Cynics.

According to Quaker historian Max Carter, “Quakers used to dress almost uniformly, although there was never a particular rule for how you dressed the way there is for Amish society today, but Friends were to be plain. But, Quakers stopped dressing plainly for the most part in the late-1800’s and Friends were encouraged to dress simply and modestly, but not in a certain plain uniform — although some Friends to this day will dress plainly as a public testimony to their belief in simplicity.” [v]

Over time dressing plainly in the traditional way became less simple as it took more and more effort and resources to achieve.

The Daughters of the American Revolution Museum reports that “‘Dressing Plain’ meant, among other things, choosing subdued colors. Grays, tans, pale golds, and olive greens were common choices. Solid colors were the norm.”[vi] Drab colors embody plainness, but are not necessary for simplicity. One could choose bright colors and still be simple in terms of pattern or practicality.

Diogenes was said to wear a single cloak that he could fold in half so it worked both in summer and winter.[vii]

Some Cynics may have taken simplicity a step too far in eschewing clothes altogether.

Diogenes kept few possessions among these: a bowl for eating and a cup for drinking. “Seeing a child drinking from his hands, Diogenes threw away his cup and remarked, ‘A child has beaten me in plainness of living.’”[viii]

Diogenes kept as few possessions as possible to be free from the control they have on your life.

In our reading for today, Jesus counseled his followers to have few possessions as they went out to minister. In place of having possessions of their own, they were to rely on those they ministered to for food and shelter.

When we moved we had to sort through our many possessions. Each item had to be sorted into donate, toss, or carry with us. Despite a massive amount of work, about three years on we still have items that have stayed in the basement and probably should have fallen into the other two categories.

Quakers traditionally cautioned against having too much cumber. This meant avoiding a life of full of too much stuff. Cumber is unnecessary things. A cluttered mind or a cluttered closet could have quite the same effect on the soul.

One day, Alexander the Great walked up to Diogenes and offered him any wish he could name. Diogenes in response asked, Stand out of my light. All Diogenes wanted was to sit in the sun.[ix]

Being content goes a long way towards living a life of simplicity. Diogenes did not seek territory nor power nor valuable possessions. All he wanted was some time in the sun.

Before Jesus began his ministry he went into the desert for 40 days and the devil tested him. The Gospel of Matthew tells “the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’” (4: 8-9) Jesus had great power and became an influential man. He could have easily chosen to take on political power and build an empire, but he deliberately turned from this path.

Pursuit of wealth and power can be quite tempting. They also can lead to an endless hunger for more. Wealth and power make life more complicated. Simplicity can be a path towards community and interdependence. Little steps like what clothes you wear can be a meaningful and public step to living in simplicity. Deciding what to hold onto and what to let go of can be a concrete step from ridding your heart and home of cumber.

I leave you with these queries: