Jan. 16 issue
Simple resolution
By Bradley SiebertPage:
- 1
- 2
On NPR a few weeks ago, a report about our rocky economic conditions mentioned a survey indicating that people don’t think the current generation will achieve as high a standard of living as their parents.
Bradley Siebert teaches English at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan.
I thought, “Are you talking about me or my children?” — confused, momentarily, about who the current generation is.
And then I thought: “You make that sound like a bad thing.”
Of course, I don’t want my children to live poorly. But I do want them to live — and live well, not lavishly.
“More!” has become the mantra of our culture. This mentality must continually be challenged. Mennonites already own some leadership in this.
As a Mennonite, I’m glad I have my history to look back on and the Amish to look up to. As an English professor, I’m glad to have studied Henry David Thoreau’s Walden several times. Models of simple living are increasingly important.
At least since my childhood, it’s been clear that Western worldliness — which has since gone global — is bad for the Earth. By some measures, we experience “better living through chemistry,” as Monsanto promised. But we’ll end our days on a polluted planet, as ’60s ecologists warned.
The concept of conspicuous consumption is visible in our depleted natural resources and over-full landfills. We’re burying ourselves in stuff.
Of course, we can’t all be Amish. And even Thoreau left the woods after a few years. But many more of us can simplify and live more with less, resisting the pervasive temptation to buy whatever we can afford and make ourselves seemingly more acceptable by acquiring fashionable clothes, gadgets and such.
I have to get better at such resistance. I can’t just be satisfied, any longer, knowing lots of others are worse.
Page:
- 1
- 2
Comment on the article Simple resolution
The purpose of comments is to engage in dialogue. We expect commenters to treat authors and each other as each would want to be treated. Respectful criticism is welcomed; offensive comments or parts of comments will be removed by the site administrator. Name and comment will be posted; email address is for follow-up only and will not be made public.
Download
Download a free PDF showing the populations of
Mennonite groups and other Anabaptists.
