Archive for June 2013
Alternate 4th of July
Posted on: June 27, 2013
Welcoming Strangers
“We’re losing control of our borders!” This is not a new opinion. King George tried unsuccessfully to restrict immigration to the colonies. His action prompted one of the grievances leveled against British rule in the Declaration of Independence.
Actually, we have never had control of our borders. If the first Americans had controlled their borders, most of us would not be here. Perhaps we are afraid that newcomers to the U.S. will treat us like our ancestors treated native Americans.
Knowing what to do about foreigners in need of refuge is not easy. Doing justice toward all those affected by our decisions is no simple matter. The social and economic implications of immigration are complex, both for U.S. citizens and for those who come from abroad.
With regard to those who are already here, the Bible’s mandate to us is clear: we should welcome strangers and help them get settled in their new home. Many churches have recognized their responsibility and have persevered in a climate which sometimes questions even the presence of foreigners in the United States.
Celebrate this Independence Day by recalling why you or your ancestors came to America, and compare these reasons with those of people coming today. Decide to find out all you can about this complex problem. But don’t stop there. Take part in welcoming and assisting those who are already here.
More ideas:
Treasury of Celebrations: National Birthdays
Spirit of Simplicity: Quotes & Art – Celebrating (For art and text, scroll down to 3-A547–Independence Day: Immigrants / Celebrate the 4th by Welcoming Strangers.)
Peace, Gerald
Influencing Others
Posted on: June 27, 2013
People don’t like to be told how to live. So, how can we possibly influence others? Do counter-culturals have to be subversive not to be discounted?
The three steps of Simpler Living (and social change)
- changing ourselves,
- sharing with others,
- working to change systems.
Each step contains 12 suggestions and additional helps. To keep from being overwhelmed, focus on one suggestion in each step.
Influencing others begins with ourselves! Ask, “Where do I fit in the three levels of participation with our culture?” The answer may be “all three.”
Example:
A. Changing Ourselves
1. Prioritize changes we need to make, including both “big” and “little” changes. Do not allow tokenism – doing only small stuff, such as recycling, and ignoring the hard changes, such as reducing our dependence on our cars. Likewise, do little stuff to maintain a consciousness. Otherwise, the big changes may overwhelm us. It feels good to say, “Look at all the changes I’ve made!” But it’s tokenism if they’re all small stuff.
How to Influence Others (full text)
More ideas:
The Common Good Podcast episode 28 (audio): Simple Living – Practical Implications
Influencing Others – Brief Video
Also of interest:
What’s Happened to Simple Living?
The Five Life Standards of Living More with Less (series)
Peace, Gerald
Moving and Clutter
Posted on: June 26, 2013
Since the concept of Enough is central to Simple Living, let’s think about Stuff, whether it be needs, wants or clutter. How do we control stuff so that it doesn’t control us?
When do we come to the realization that stuff has too much power in our lives? When we MOVE. . . and when we get the credit card bill after Christmas! (Also known as Teachable Moment Day.)
Think about a moment of insight and how you reacted. Ask, “How can I be pro-active in the future?”
More ideas:
The Common Good Podcast episode 28: Simple Living – Practical Implications
Also of interest:
What’s Happened to Simple Living?
The Five Life Standards of Living More with Less (series)
Peace, Gerald
Living more simply can be lonely
Posted on: June 23, 2013
Our families, our church, our social circle may think we’re peculiar. It may mean dealing with resentment when others don’t “get it.” When we are making corrections, living more responsibly and others don’t seem to have the slightest inclination to change their wasteful ways. Living Simply faces challenges, powerful forces.
It’s important to find another Simple Liver, start a support group or connect with a Simplicity Circle.
Voluntary Simplicity is not romanticizing poverty, monks, the Amish or people who struggled through the Depression. That can diminish those people’s devotion or struggle, and to make the journey of discipleship look silly or “for others/unrelated to us,” untouchable. Poverty is NOT fun. Two thirds of the world population live in poverty Involuntarily. We have a choice.
We make choices about how we’re going to live — our micro-economy. Our little choices may or may not have impact on how governments or corporations operate on a large scale – the macro-economy. None-the-less, we live within or below our means, avoid debt, give generously to the needy.
Ideas:
The Common Good Podcast #28: Simple Living – Practical Implications (audio)
How to Influence Others (text)
Also of interest:
What’s Happened to Simple Living?
The Five Life Standards of Living More with Less (series)
Peace, Gerald
What Simple Living Is Not
Posted on: June 21, 2013
Voluntary Simplicity is not a list of rules. It is a consciousness, an awareness. It is a matter of personal responsibility. Whenever we go to buy something, to use something, we think:
- Do I need to buy this?
- Or do I want to?
- Do I really need to use this?
- Do I buy what I like?
- What will impress?
It can be difficult separating needs from wants, especially with some things, like automobiles. What do we use them for? Can we do without? If not, how do we choose the one we need?
Remember what our children would say to us when they wanted to do something that they knew was irresponsible.
- “But, all the kids are doing it.”
Let’s try that in our lives. [Say this aloud in a whining voice.]
- “But, everybody’s driving a new car… .
- But, everybody builds a big, expensive house that’s ten times bigger than they need, claiming it’s for equity when the kids leave home…
- But, everybody has a yard that looks like a golf course so that nobody complains that we’re lowering their property values…”
Sounds pretty silly and disconcerting, doesn’t it?
Voluntary Simplicity is not “living on the cheap.” It’s more than frugality, far from being a tightwad, and surely not being a miser. In some cases we’ll actually need to pay more for tools that are Earth-friendly.
Instead it’s a journey to find more meaning, more joy, more fun in life by getting out from under the burden of so much stuff, to remove the barrier of stuff that keeps us apart from other people, from God and even from ourselves.
Voluntary Simplicity is not a list of rules to follow, though there are five life standards. It’s about seeing our lives as extravagant, even out-of-control concerning our consumption. Then deciding what to do little by little, day-by-day, week-by-week to cut down on consumption.
We recommend not going cold turkey. That brings significant frustration.
“Simple living today is joyful, bright, poetic and mentally robust.” –Michael Phillips and Catherine Campbell, Simple Living Investments
More Ideas
The Common Good Podcast episode 28: Simple Living – Practical Implications
Also of interest
What’s Happened to Simple Living?
The Five Life Standards of Living More with Less (series)
Peace, Gerald
Multiple Paths
Posted on: June 19, 2013
There are multiple paths to Voluntary Simplicity.
One is the secular, called “downshifting.”
A young executive is cruising along in high gear, peddling her sports car as fast as she can. She thinks, This is a lot of work! So she downshifts, maybe she takes a different job that has a smaller income but less stress. Maybe she moves into a smaller house in a rural area and grows her own tomatoes. Maybe she gets smart, gets control of her credit card and pays off her debts. Basically she’s downshifting to increase her personal happiness.
Christians adopt Voluntary Simplicity for the same and more reasons.
Personal happiness is good. But there’s more. We adopt Voluntary Simplicity also to be in touch with God and to help others. Voluntary Simplicity is a lifestyle of integrity, living as a disciple of Jesus, walking our talk.
More ideas:
The Common Good Podcast episode 28 (audio): Simple Living – Practical Implications
Also of interest:
What’s Happened to Simple Living?
The Five Life Standards of Living More with Less (series)
Peace, Gerald
What’s in a Mission?
Posted on: June 15, 2013
What’s Simple Living Works! all about? SLW! is an all-volunteer non-profit educational organization that equips people of faith to challenge consumerism, live justly and celebrate responsibly.
Let’s break that down.
Simple Living Works! equips people of faith to
Consumerism. That’s our national religion! It tells us every day that you will find happiness and meaning in life though stuff. That thing you bought, it didn’t work for you. Oh, I’m so sorry. Here try this instead. That didn’t work? Here, try this instead. The purpose of most commercial advertising is to keep the customers perpetually dissatisfied. . . so they will continue to fill their own personal spiritual voids with stuff.
We tell a different story. We will find happiness and meaning in life through relationships. There are four basic relationships. The first one is with ourselves, getting to know ourselves honestly in a culture that is full of self deception. The second is our relationship with our friends and colleagues. . . people here in the church, people we work with, our relatives, and hopefully a few brothers and sisters around the globe. The third relationship is with God’s creation. Being good stewards of the soil, the air, the water, as well as the animals and plants. And the fourth, the most important one, of course, is our relationship with God. Those relationships will give us happiness and meaning in life. Stuff gives us a thrill when we get something new. But over the long haul it disappoints.
Let’s make an important distinction between charity and justice because some people think they are the same. Charity is when we give our money and our time to help meet people’s short term needs or to work for worthwhile causes. Very important work. Justice is different. Justice is when we work to change the system that makes charity necessary.
There are three basic ways that we can work for justice. The first one is to work to change political policies. I’ve heard a rumor that there are a few policies in this country that can stand changing. The second one is to work to change corporate procedures. We can do that by applauding those corporations that are beginning to work for the sustainability of the Earth and we can decry those businesses that continue to gobble up the Earth. Even boycott them! Let’s focus on the third. That’s to look at our own life styles because all things are connected. Our buying decisions do have an impact on people around the world. So the third one is our primary focus. That’s a little about the difference between Charity and Justice. But I would really like to give you a crass example. Maybe you’ve heard some variation of this example, “OK, pastor, I’ll give a hundred dollars for that poor soul over there in Africa but don’t talk to me about my car.”
Quiz time. What does the average American wedding cost today? $23,000, you’re getting close. $25,000, closer. It’s $27,850. It’s because of that that we produced a little book a while back — the Alternative Wedding Book. And it has been updated recently. It helps brides and grooms and their parents and their pastor with two things — first, an attitude change that it’s OK to have a simpler wedding, and second with nuts and bolts ideas about how to go about doing that. This book is 125 pages. The average issue of Bride’s magazine is 900 pages. So, you can see what we are up against.
That’s our mission statement — equipping people of faith challenge consumerism, live justly and celebrate responsibly. Three segments of the VIDEO “Simple Living Works!” describe the mission. Click on each above to go to YouTube.
If I were to take the 150+ educational and inspirational resources on the SLW! site and try to divide them up neatly under one of the three parts of the SLW! Mission, it would be fruitless. Almost all of them would fit under all three . . . because the three parts of the Mission work together, they are intimately interwoven.
For example, our best known resource, the Advent/Christmas annual Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? most obviously strives to equip people to celebrate responsibly. But that means challenging consumerism. . . and living justly.
Beyond the mission are more specific GOALS.
1) “Heightening awareness in an increasingly larger audience about the implications of consumerism and commercialization in the celebrations of Christmas and other holidays.”
2) “Diverting persons and institutions from over-consumption to a more just distribution and stewardship of funds and other resources.”
3) “Providing a bridge between those concerned about peace, justice and sustainability of creation whether within religious institutions or outside them.”
Sounds quite contemporary, yet this mission and goals were written over 20 years ago.
They also sound quite practical. Some simple living groups focus on the personal, spiritual aspects. Alternatives may start there but always goes beyond the personal to the community and to the global.
Also of interest: What’s Happened to Simple Living?
Peace, Gerald
The Five Life Standards, the essence of voluntary simplicity, are detailed in Doris Janzen Longacre’s classic book, Living More with Less (now available in a 30th Anniversary edition):
- Do Justice
- Learn from the World Community
- Nurture People, Not Things
- Cherish the Natural Order
- Nonconform Freely
Free support materials for Living More with Less: blogs, video, audio, text, podcasts, etc.
Life Standard #5: Nonconform Freely
We are not talking anarchy here. We are resisting the pressures created primarily by advertising.
The forces against us living more simply are extremely powerful and devious. Some of them are quiet, unwritten… like how we dress in church, how our house will look at Christmas time. But many of them are loud, in-your-face forces that work to get as deeply into your pocketbook as possible everyday.
We all have basic physical needs… for food, for shelter, for community. It’s helpful to have information about where we can meet those needs. That’s one reason for advertising. What’s objectionable is advertising that creates false needs, really wants or desires…when advertisers play with our heads, trying to get us to think that we will be better people by the beverage we drink, that we will be sexier if we buy a certain kind of car, that we will be more popular or successful if we wear certain kinds of clothes or perfume.
When I’m watching TV, I ZAP the commercials… mute the sound. Are aggressive car and soda pop commercials the price of admission? That’s exactly what the advertisers want us to think. But the air waves belong to the people. We owe advertisers nothing! (Remember Screen Free Week in April from Commercial Free Childhood – formerly Turn Off TV Week – and Buy Nothing Day, Friday, November 29. Yes, that’s the day after Thanksgiving!)
Sioux City is a nice place to raise a family. This past summer a billboard selling sun tan lotion showed three young, attractive people. They happened to be naked. It was no big deal. There was no outcry. Just another billboard selling something. At the same time a group in Des Moines was working to promote breast feeding. They were turned down from buying billboard space because their subject was TOO OFFENSIVE!
In the name of “research,” some advertisers — without your permission, even without your knowledge — place cameras in grocery stores to photograph your eyes as you shop. When you are looking at cereal, for example, the cameras record your reaction to various boxes and even count the length of time you focus on each box. This “research” helps advertisers to decide what appeals to you.
We have permission to follow our religious principles, our faith, instead of our culture, instead of advertisers who pressure us to buy things we don’t need, probably don’t even want, and that break down on schedule. Nonconform Freely.
(Also see May 12, “Phony Alert!”)
Simple Living and the Five Life Standards on The Common Good Podcast
In episode 27 of The Common Good Podcast, Lee Van Ham and I find common ground in the micro-economics of voluntary simple living and the macro of Jubilee Economics. It goes way beyond “class warfare” in America to global fairness… seeing the interconnection of our small choices and purchases to the larger systems of governments and corporations. Everything’s connected.
In episode 28, I go beyond the concepts to the practical. Subscribe for free at The Common Good Podcast. 
Here are my blogs at Jubilee-Economics.org.
Peace, Gerald
YERT
Posted on: June 8, 2013
Mark Dixon, YERT Producer
I was honored to represent Iowa in YERT: Your Environmental Road Trip (blog). My video interview, called “Simple Living 101,” offers a summary of the five Life Standards of Living More with Less. It’s about 10 minutes but you endure a commercial first.
YERT the documentary film is the brain child of a small group of environmental film-makers who wanted to interview activists in each of the 50 states of the US, all in one year.
The YERT site contains much helpful info, such as
Take a look. I discovered several inspiring resources there. And the
route map and itinerary are fascinating.
- Peace, Gerald
- Please Like SLW! on Facebook.
- Follow us on Twitter.
Vision of the Future
Posted on: June 6, 2013
Why might this generation’s parents give the next generation permission not to have children?
I have a positive vision of the post-industrial future. About 2050, the Earth’s environment will begin to implode to such a degree that the human population will decline from nine billion then to one billion by 2100 – by reduced birth rate and by die-off. This dramatic change is based on widely accepted scientific projections.
I see little evidence that people who can alter this vision – large multi-national corporations and most U.S. politicians – will make the rapid and systemic changes needed. Sorry, though personal lifestyle choices by simple livers make our lives more enjoyable and less guilty, and provide role models, they are not sufficient to change the global future all by themselves. This blog will continue to offer action plans.
The Earth will eventually recover from the damage that humans have brought on it. In the meanwhile, most living species will either go extinct or suffer immensely. America’s grandchildren will most likely live out the second half of their lives during the Great Implosion.
We personally can’t stop it from happening. Despite what smiley faces say, humans have already passed the recovery point, and “American ingenuity” is not clever enough to devise techno-fixes that will save us. Geo-engineering will probably cause more destructive side-effects than benefits. (But somebody will make a ton of money on them, just as the “rain men” did during the Depression/Dust Bowl Days.)
We are making provision for our grandchildren’s generation. No, we are not survivalists!
Most folks would not see this vision as positive. I do. In the history of the Earth we are just a blip. We may not be the best thing the Earth has yet to see. And this complements my devout, progressive Christian faith and vision of a “new heaven and a new Earth.”
Two views of the way forward are:
Supply Shock: Economic Growth at the Crossroads and the Steady State Solution
America’s Climate Century: What Climate Change Means for America in the 21st Century and What Americans Can Do About It
For more, listen to The Common Good Podcast episode 29.
Peace, Gerald
Simple Living Works! 