Simplicity in the Desert
One
Simplicity and the Desert
Have you ever been to the desert? In many ways, it’s like being on the ocean. Both the ocean and the desert have the grandeur of simplicity, of being magnificent, but not complicated. Everywhere you look, it’s largely the same vast expanse.
Now that uncomplicated aspect of the desert gives it a sense of peace and clarity. Because the truth is, when things get too complicated, we get confused and anxious. So it makes sense that the desert would be the place where we encounter God. It makes sense that the desert is our metaphor for the season of Lent.
Because we find God when we cut through the confusion and the anxiety and reach the clarity, the clarity that there are not many things that we need to worry about. That, at the end of the day, there is only one thing that matters.
Two
Tension and Complexity
The great killer in our culture, the thing that takes a massive toll of both body and soul is stress. Everybody is stressed out. We’re all super-tense so much of the time. But now ask yourself: what does the word “tense” mean?
Obviously, the word “tense” is just a variation of “tension,” and tension is simple when one thing is being pulled in opposing directions at the same time. If you pull two ends of a rope or a string in opposite directions, you will create tension. You’ll make the rope tense.
And that’s what causes tension in our souls. When our minds and our desires are pulled in opposite directions at once. That’s what destroys us. And that’s what simplicity can heal.
Three
Too many projects
We don’t live in a simple desert, where we pray and commune with God. We live in a jungle of our projects and needs. We have too many different things we think we need to get done. Too many projects, all competing for our time. And we’re constantly trying to juggle, trying to maximize, trying to sort through, all the different stuff we want to do.
And it’s too much. The complexity of it is killing us. Our aspirations are divided, and we are tense.
But in the desert, Christ just fasted and prayed. In the desert, the priorities were clear. There was only one thing that needed to be done every day. Time needed to be spent with God. And we needed to commit ourselves to Him.
How can we create a desert in our minds and souls? How can we clear away the complexity, and realize that none of it is crucial? Try this: think of the five projects that are weighing on you most heavily and then think of how passing they are. How if you complete them, it won’t really make a huge difference in your life. And if you die before you complete them, it won’t really make a huge difference to anyone else.
Spiritually clear away all the excess growth of your to-do list, at least in principle if not in practice. You may end up getting all those things done, but remember that you don’t have to. Realize that, at the end of the day, you are alone with God in the desert. And He is all you need.
Four
Too Many Things
Our houses are also testimonies to the jungles our souls have become. We have too much stuff, nearly all of us have too much stuff. And it’s because we have too many desires. Our houses are messy and cluttered because our desires are messy and cluttered, which is why we are tense.
A lot of times people will get the urge to purge, to get rid of all the clothes and knick-knacks and books and whatever else that they don’t need and never use. They de-clutter their houses, but they don’t de-clutter their souls from the complicated mess of desires that keep growing like a tangle of weeds. But the point is to de-clutter the soul, to make a desert out of the soul. To make the soul simple.
So, try this: What are the things you’re looking forward to buying, or worrying about replacing, or thinking about renovating? What are the costs you’re worried about incurring, or the increased income you’re planning on making? And then realize that none of these purchases or replacements or renovations or costs or revenues is really going to make much difference to your life. Just as none of the purchases or replacements or renovations or costs or additional revenues up till now has magically resulted in your overall contentment or satisfaction.
Those who live in a desert don’t own much, and they don’t need to. They have enough for their basic needs, and they have God. It’s a simple life. It’s a peaceful life, out there in the desert. And if they don’t need to worry about anything else, neither do we.
Five
Too many distractions
There’s not a lot of entertainment out in the desert. It’s a silent wilderness, a wasteland. There’s nothing to stop you from thinking about what you should be thinking about. Nothing to make you lose focus on what really matters.
We, on the contrary, flood ourselves with entertainment. We check our email, pick up a book, watch a show, call a friend, send some texts, get some work done, read a blog post. We switch our attention from one thing to another to another to another.
If tension means being pulled in different directions, then no wonder we’re always tense. Our attention is constantly being pulled in different directions. Of course, we’re always tense. So what can you do to remove distractions? What can you do to keep your attention centered on the one thing that matters?
Well, there are probably a lot of ways, but try this: When you come home after work, leave your phone in the car for as long as possible. And every time you want to reach for your phone, every time you want to look something up, or send a message, or just “check something real quick,” say an Our Father instead.
Replace the jungle of distraction with the desert of prayer. Clear away the complication. Fight the tension. Focus on the one thing that matters. That’s what Lent is all about. And that’s what life is all about.
Suggested Resolutions:
Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
Challenge yourself by leaving your phone out of reach for as long as possible. Whenever you feel the need to reach for it, say an Our Father instead.
Take note of all the things that pull your focus in different directions. Does all of it have to get done? Remember that God is the real priority, which might mean sacrificing some of those distractions.