When I taught catechism to 5th and 6th graders, it was inevitable that there would be lots of giggling and mock-scandalized looks when reference was made to the word hell. It’s a legit word which means something all together different from something based on a Dante novel or creepy horror film.

In it’s basic form hell is “a place or state of turmoil or destruction” (Merriam-Webster), and in terms of faith, hell is “the state of complete separation from God for all eternity; it is experienced by those who decide to reject God” (see Loyola Press for more on Catholic basics).

We often use the term hell in colloquial ways, for example, when we say our day was hell or our office desk looks like hell, both of which refer to the basic definition of hell. We the living may also refer to hell as a present reality where we feel in a state of separation from God — not permanent or complete but serious and threatening nonetheless.

Once in a while those two worlds of hell collide. I’ve been meditating a lot on the passage from Matthew 12:43-45 where the unclean spirit is evicted from a person, goes out to find another home but can’t so returns back to the same person only to find everything neat and tidy. The nasty spirit then brings buddies “more wicked than itself.”

Sometimes being in a space that is “hell” (untidy, messy, disorganized) can lead to the other kind of “hell” where we are lured away from God. I find that when I have stuff all around me (stacks of papers or books, to-do lists, laundry, correspondence, etc.) or too much stuff (do I really need 17 sweatshirts?) I can get quite distracted from my focus on my relationship with God and my participation in God’s mission. I can feel myself saying, “Just a minute, God, let me just get this out of the way first.” And of course that “just a minute” might last a half hour, a day, a month, and can sometimes lead to a whole lifetime of “just minute”.

So what do we do? How do get the hell out of our daily life? How do we simplify, order, reduce, make peace with, etc., the swirl around us that can lure us into saying, “just a minute!” to God?

While not always successful, here are some of the things I do or at least aspire to do!

1. Reduce sweatshirt inventory. I’m a nun, not a sports team promoter! I try to keep clothing, books, etc. to a reasonable minimum. There is no hard and fast rule for this and each person has to find that line of enough v. too much.
2. Beg, borrow, and … share. Do I really need to own my own copy of the latest bestseller from my favorite author? No, no I do not. I’m getting better at making use of online resources, borrowing stuff from my sisters and family and friends, using online movie rental programs, etc. In turn, I try to share what I have so that others can also keep a handle on any looming hell.
3. Discern the finer things in life. Reminding oneself of what one’s priorities and true values are can be really helpful in making choices to reduce all manner of hell. So for example, I do enjoy a good cup of coffee. So even though I’m out and about a lot, I try to keep buying stuff to a minimum and save myself (and my budget) for that one amazing cup of coffee. That’s a small example, but the same works for how we make choices about our life and how we engage in relationships. Is this what I really want to be about?
4. Embrace the space. The temptation is great to fill up clean space with more junk — and this holds true for our physical space, emotional space, and spiritual space. Herein lies the apt observations of Matthew too. We get all of our stuff cleaned up, admire our effort, and then proceed to say, “Now I’ll just add this in because it looks great in this new space …” and so on. We’ve got to find ways to own our new space and tend to it diligently and regularly so that we don’t just open the door and let a bunch of gansta spirits take over again. I try to have my “space maintenance” time in the morning and at night — it includes solitude/silence, tidying up my living space, addressing and letting go of aggravations over which I have no control, and truly being at peace with the space and with myself!
5. Hit the road. Sometimes we need a reprieve from the hell that we have created or that is threatening to overtake us. On a day-to-day basis I might go and sit in a quiet place outside or in a stairwell or something. When I am in need of more, I might spend the day at the park or go on retreat, or hang out with my family, or read a wildly engaging novel. These are good times for rest and recovery so that we can be re-energized to head back into the thick of things with a new mindset, some creative ideas, and a grounding in our deepest self with God.

Ever try any of these things? What other steps work for you?

* * *

Join A Nun’s Life Community for evening prayer and chat at 6 p.m. CST (your time zone) today at aNunsLife.org/live.

Yesterday I came across a line by poet T.S. Eliot that struck me so soundly that I drove immediately to the bookstore and got a copy of his book of verse Four Quartets.

Quick now, here, now, always–
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well …

(T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding” V in Four Quartets)

“A condition of complete simplicity / (Costing not less than everything)” … wow. As I read the rest of this section of verse, I realized I had heard many pieces of it before, but these two lines were like a sword piercing my soul.

Simplicity is a complex word. It’s nuanced and multivalent, seemingly contradictory in itself.

Main Entry: sim·plic·i·ty (Merriam-Webster)

1 : the state of being simple, uncomplicated, or uncompounded
2 a : lack of subtlety or penetration : innocence, naiveté b : folly, silliness
3 : freedom from pretense or guile : candor
4 a : directness of expression : clarity b : restraint in ornamentation : austerity

Depending on how you read it, simplicity can be a good thing or a bad thing. Which meaning did Eliot have in mind for these verses? And, perhaps more importantly, what meaning does the reader perceive as she or he reads these verses? Reading this, reflecting on it, has become a part of my prayer for today, a kind of lectio divina or “sacred reading” as I try to see what God might be saying to me through my being captured by these words.

I find that many times when I am struck soundly by something out of the blue that I can use the experience to “unpack” some kind of call from God. It might be a call to attend to a pressing concern, to explore an idea further, to grow in understanding God, etc. It’s an invitation to go deeper in a new way.

A couple questions for you … how do you read Eliot’s line about simplicity? Have you had a similar experience of being “struck soundly” by a word or image or other experience?

]]> http://anunslife.org/2009/08/11/3459/feed/ 8 http://anunslife.org/2009/06/01/nuns-on-the-move/ http://anunslife.org/2009/06/01/nuns-on-the-move/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:29:38 +0000 Sister Julie http://anunslife.org/?p=3008

I have often heard Catholic sisters and nuns say, “Join the convent, see the world” because many of us do travel quite a bit for ministry and mission. Along with that comes the always pleasant task of actually moving. You know what I mean — boxes, tape, clutter, dust, lifting, moving, renting, changing, bubble wrap, exhaustion!

Moving also gives one the opportunity for self-reflection, to think about what one is attached to, how simply one lives, what facilitates community and mission, etc.

As you might suspect, I am in the process of moving — like right at this moment. My computer is the last to go. In an hour I will be picking up our 17′ rental truck (the experience of driving that thing in Chicago will probably make for an interesting blog post!) in order to move out of my current abode and to a new house with another IHM sister where we can live and offer hospitality to our IHM sisters and others.

Chloe the Convent Cat is coming along with us, and as you can see, she’s a bit self-reflective too.

We’ve done a great job at sorting and donating stuff. It’s so easy to accumulate “stuff” so I’m hoping to keep things simple. I feel better when I have less clutter, less stuff to be distracted by. After traveling so much, I realize that most of what I need I can toss in a backpack.

What have been your experiences of “move”? What does living simply mean for you?

O Lord, teach me your paths,
and I will come to your truth.
Make my heart simple and guileless,
so that it honours your name.
I will proclaim you, Lord my God,
and give you praise with all my heart.
I will give glory to your name for ever,
for your great kindness is upon me:
you have rescued me from the deepest depths.
~ from Psalm 86 (85)

This morning’s prayer (from the Liturgy of the Hours) gave me pause today because it kind of summed up how I feel this Lenten season.

For me, this Lent is a time to pull up a stool and sit at the feet of the Lord, to be mentored in God’s ways. This is something we must do regularly throughout life. It’s like going back to the basics, but learning and re-learning them at deeper and deeper levels.

Simplicity is also something I strive for, especially at this point in my life. There’s a couple levels to this. First is an “outward” simplicity. I am trying to get rid of the clutter that surrounds me. Oh, it’s not like there’s a ton of stuff, but there is more than what I need to live on. I was cleaning my porch last night and found 6 bike pumps. Seriously more than I need or can even use at one time! “But what if … ” is the phrase that runs through my head. “But what if one breaks, or someone needs to borrow one, or you lose one …” I am commiting myself to stopping the “But what if’s” and passing along this stuff to others who actually need a bike pump or whatever.

There’s also the “inward” simplicity. “Make my heart simple.” For me this speaks to living out of my heart’s desire — not getting distracted by “lesser” desires or attractions. I have to think more on what this means. I know there is a message in there for me, but not sure what yet.

How does this psalm speak to you?

]]> http://anunslife.org/2009/03/18/make-my-heart-simple/feed/ 12