Detachment

Friday and Saturday in the First Week in Lent, 3/3-4/23

 “He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.”  Mark 6:8-9 

This seems a drastic request, but this is what Jesus expected of His twelve Apostles when He sent them out, two-by-two, on their first mission to proclaim the Gospel.  His intent was to force them to trust in God for all provisions.  St. Francis and St. Clare followed this model for life, as did St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Yesterday’s theme was on detachment, and that would have been relatively easy to write about, since St. Ignatius of Loyola followed the poverty and detachment of St. Francis of Assisi.  As an Ignatian Spiritual Director, it is one of the first things I ask a new directee – to consider their level of attachment – to things, to people, to outcomes, to wealth, to notoriety . . . help me fill in the blank. What is something they find very difficult to give up. St. Ignatius also called it compulsions.  We are all too aware of compulsive activity . . . it is rampant in today’s culture. Lent offers us the opportunity to not only consider this question, but to do something about it.

There are many YouTube videos, TikTok reels, FB posts, etc., on decluttering and simplifying your life.  While the minimalist trend is taking hold across generations, there is a common experience among the baby boomers who are being tasked with making difficult decisions regarding their parents belongings between family members and/or estate sales.  Thrift store are bulging at the seams as so many of us try to liquidate possessions that no longer ‘bring us joy’ as one author suggests.  We no longer suffer the ’lack of needs’/wants from the Depression era generations . . . those who saved every scrap of paper and foil, as was required of them in their youth.  In fact, there is far too much waste, as we learn when we see barges of garbage just sitting in the ocean with nowhere to dump so much refuse! 

We have, for the most part, been incredibly fortunate with possessions, but that is also worth considering.  How do we measure fortunate?  Have you ever been on a mission trip, even here in a poverty-stricken part of the U.S., where the people live with such joy even despite impoverished conditions.  In fact, they often want desperately to share their meager provisions with strangers who have extended a kindness upon them.

When struggling to purge possessions, especially those difficult to relinquish, those that seem to have some emotional connection that makes releasing them difficult, I ask myself some questions:

1)      Can I take this into heaven with me?

2)      Can I bless someone else with this?

3)      If I continue to hold on tightly to this thing/these things, what might I be closing my hands to receiving?  (If your hands are full, it’s difficult to add anything more to them . . . it does help to let some things go, first in order to receive something new, or just be open handed and grateful.)

4)      Am I making this thing/these things too important in my life? Have I replaced God with things, or relationships, or work, or???

There are likely other ways to assess over-abundance in your life.  But what is the end-game?  A clean house?  A peaceful existence? Those are fine goals, but what about eternal life?  Emptying our life of the needless attachments, the disordered attachments as St. Ignatius referred to them as . . . attachment to things that were out-of-order.  You could consider that two ways: 

1)      Out-of-order - as in priorities; when our priorities are worldly rather than heaven-oriented, (work, wealth, accumulating things rather than spiritual growth and development), or,

2)      Out-of-order - as in a disorder – compulsive behavior that we do not control . . . which actually, can lead to our priorities being out of order. 

So, yes, too much stuff can create a vicious cycle of unhappiness. But, that is physical and emotional, what about our spiritual selves?  That, too, needs decluttering.  We can certainly try prayer and meditation, but do you have a dedicated practice?  

At Urban Sanctuary, we offer a Christ-centered yoga class that uses traditional yoga poses and postures we call postures of prayer and praise – to deepen and strengthen our faith.  We offer space and guidance for prayer and meditation.  We work with the labyrinth . . .  a walking meditation that wonderfully facilitates a three-fold process of purgation, communion, and transformation, or release, receive, and return. If you would like guidance on any of these practices, please reach out to us through out contact information.

As we end this first week in Lent and move into the second week, let us take a moment to check in and see if we are making any spiritual progress.  I have no idea what you have considered giving up, or doing more of, or trying to improve upon, but in only 10 days time, the time I chose to write (at the end of my day) has not proven to be the best choice.  Last night, after a full day, that was completely exhausting for me, I had absolutely NO energy to go downstairs (bum knee) and fire up my laptop (ancient) and struggle with my brain (as exhausted as my weary body) to try to write something intelligent, much less meaningful or profound.  So, I opted to pray and go to bed with pain medication.  10 hours of sleep later, I woke up groggy and seemed just as worse for wear as when I went to bed.  Perhaps, I should have stayed up and written. Alas, I did not, so, tonight I will try to transition to writing earlier in the day.

May you continue to be blessed upon your journey.