Just a quick one tonight. Been a busy weekend.
“…simplicity and solitude walk hand in hand. Solitude refers principally to the inward unity that frees us from the panicked need for acclaim and approval. Through it we are enabled to be genuinely alone, for the fear of obscurity is gone; and we are enabled to be genuinely with others, for they no longer control us.
It is not difficult to see how dependent simplicity is upon solitude. Enslavement to the opinions of others is the source of a great deal of duplicity in modern society. How often we discover our action to be prompted, not by the divine Center, but by what others may say or think. Sadly, we must confess that our experience is all too frequently characterized by endless attempts to justify what we do or fail to do. And how violently this problem rears its ugly head the moment we seek a simpler lifestyle. Whereas before we were tyrannized by the desire to look affluent, now we are tyrannized by the desire to look scant. If what we own can look slightly austere and unvarnished, then perhaps others will think we live in simplicity. Painfully, we know we are too dependent upon the approval of others.
We sincerely want to do what is right, but our own self-consciousness betrays our lack of true simplicity. Our struggle affirms the observation of Francois Fenelon, “These people are sincere, but they are not simple.” The grace of solitude must be rooted deep within if we are to know simplicity of heart…
The sincere are not yet simple. They have a kind of artificial rigor that makes us feel uncomfortable, though we cannot fault the virtue. They put us on edge and make us feel ill at ease. This often concerns us because they seem so spiritual, so determined to know God. We wonder if our discomfort stems from a resistance to God and his way. In reality, however, it is due to the fact that these deeply committed folk are trying too hard. They lack the ease, freedom, and naturalness that mark true interior simplicity. We would prefer less perfect people who are more at ease with themselves.”
Foster, “Freedom of Simplicity” pages 14,15,113