Radical Grace
Apr - May - Jun 2007

’Tis the Gift to Be Simple… (excerpt)

By Sr. Paula González, SC

We are all familiar with the lovely Shaker song, "Simple Gifts," but have we realized the depth of wisdom to be found in these words? The lilting melody seems appropriate when we realize that this was sung by the United Believers in Christ’s Second Coming (the Shakers, an offshoot of the Quakers) as they worked. As we face the great work which living in our times demands, probing the words may provide guidance: " 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'tis the gift to come down where we ought to be…." Simplicity and freedom and true humility— remembering that the root of this word is "humus"—have you ever connected these? Notice that this states, that being simple and free and truly humble ("earthy") are the gifts. I was struck by this as I had always thought the words were " 'tis a gift…" Pondering the original version as written by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett, Jr. in 1848 also caused me to reflect on the dictionary’s synonyms for "simplify:" to reduce to basic essentials, to clarify. (I use the verb, as it will require a great deal of energy and commitment for most of us to simplify our lives to the extent that a serious reading of the signs of the times demands.) Also, how similar these words are to the first Beatitude! The poor in spirit have the Kingdom of God right now—along with those who "suffer persecution for justice’s sake" (Matthew 5:10). This sounds a lot like the next words of the song: "And when we find ourselves in the place just right, it will be in the valley of love and delight."

Many people today are baffled and troubled by the relentless pace of change in nearly every area of human life. Perhaps a majority are oblivious to the fact that their discomfort—even what I call a "low-level despair"—stems from being "enslaved." Intuitively, all experience the deep yearning which has inspired generations of slaves in every age and culture to seek the precious gift of freedom. Today there seems to be a pervading sense that all is not well, that everything is out of control. In our troubled times, what are some of the barriers to true freedom of spirit? What worries folks so much that sales of over-the-counter medications to combat stress and anxiety promote billion-dollar businesses and that even children are treated for any number of syndromes?

Fear is a primary source of suffering for many—fear of not having enough, of people who don’t look like or think like we do, of declining economic, political and ecclesial institutions, of global warming and other signs of planetary distress, and on and on. What might all this mean? We are being called to wake up to an invitation from Eternal Mystery, “in whom we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). We humans are called to leave behind our adolescent ways of relating to God, to one another and to the magnificent cosmos of which we are a part. We are called to return to basic essentials and strive for clarity about our role in God’s magnificent plan; to struggle with the challenges of what it means to grow into our name, Homo sapiens (wise humans)!

Sister Paula González, SC, PhD, futurist and environmentalist, has offered over 1600 talks, minicourses and retreats. She has constructed two solar buildings and authored several book chapters, articles and audio and video programs. Sr. Paula will be a guest presenter at the CAC’s 2007 summer conference.

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