by Pam Kemp
The Aug. 3 Gospel reading at Mass presented a rich man (let’s call him “Jethro”) who wanted Jesus to intervene by telling his brother “Sam” to divide the family inheritance with him. Jesus wisely declined to judge between them (“Who am I to judge?”). Instead, ever the consummate teacher, Jesus drove home the danger of greed with a parable about a rich man “Eli” whose overabundance of grain and goods created a storage problem, which Eli proposed to solve by tearing down his barns and building bigger ones. That way, he’d have no worries and could freely eat, drink and be merry. There was just one problem. As God pointed out to him: This very night your soul will be demanded of you. Here today, gone tomorrow, all your material riches.
The first half of my life, as is the case with many people in developed countries, was spent building “bigger barns”: more degrees, more prestigious jobs, a better-furnished house, two kids, more cats.
The second half is being spent downsizing: in 2008 disposing of possessions in order to reduce moving costs to Canada; begging grown children and relatives to take the ski machine, the rocking chair, the cedar chest; searching for a small rental apartment and hoping the house in Texas would sell soon so my husband could join me in Kelowna; at every parish garage sale letting go of more of the remaining excess. If, at some indeterminate future date, we move into a retirement village, the second-to-last downsizing will take place.
But years spent doing spiritual practices have led to other sorts of downsizing: ego reduction, letting go of doctrinal arrogance, less seeking the splinter in another’s eye while ignoring the log in my own, a more balanced Mary/Martha ratio, decreased intolerance for other brand-names of religion or spirituality. Diminishment and letting go seem to be my second-half-of-life tasks.
I have plenty of physical and spiritual baggage still to dispose of, but lightening the load, even by stages, is liberating. Traveling life lightly lets me see the scenery, with no big barns in the way, and feel the fresh breeze of Spirit blowing through myself and the rest of creation.
Somehow I missed this Pam! Your writing style is awesome! I felt like you and I were in the same room, having a conversation. Very very inspirational! Thank you!