Faces on Faith: ‘Spiritual one in, one out’ rule
A few years ago, Kristin van OgTrop, former longtime editor of Real Simple magazine, expressed the mixed feelings she often experienced after the Christmas and New Year’s season. While she admitted to loving giving gifts, she also acknowledged the dread she felt in regard to the accumulation of stuff that often occurs that time of year — something you hope the editor of a publication called Real Simple would be concerned with, right?
That concern, one van OgTrop claimed was shared by many, had resulted in numerous articles and books dedicated to what she referred to as “stuff control.” However, van OgTrop had also found most of the suggestions in those publications “unworkable.” For example, with her characteristic pragmatic wit, she pointed out that one of the most commonly offered solutions — to institute a “one gift limit” — had to have been devised by people who had never heard of grandparents.
There was one form of “stuff control” that van OgTrop did find both sensible and possible. It’s called “one in, one out.” For every new thing a person gets, they have to let go of something they already have.
Not a bad rule for the holiday season. Not a bad rule for the New Year. Not a bad rule for our lives.
One of the most frequent expressions of life stress and dissatisfaction I have heard throughout my life in ministry and counseling has been some variation of “too much to do and too little time.” That concern, more often than not, has been grounded in people feeling that they have to add new commitments, projects and goals — often worthy ones — while at the same time, rarely giving up older ones that may no longer be workable or even necessary.
But the Jesus who we in the Christian tradition just once again celebrated the coming of would in time call us to “let go” of so many of the things the world insists we be concerned — even primarily concerned — with. That doesn’t mean being apathetic or turning away from the important stuff — the things in the world that are not as God would have them. But it does mean that it’s OK to let go of things that do not serve us in becoming who and what God created us to be. In fact, it’s necessary.
Perhaps in this New Year then, and especially in this time of heightened social, political and other stressors, we might consider honestly examining our “life stuff control” and put into practice a “spiritual one in, one out” rule, even if it means just adding one thing which will enhance our spiritual lives while letting go of one thing which doesn’t. Because we were all created by God to experience “abundant life” — growth, meaning, peace and joy, and not lives of stress and dissatisfaction, in this and every year.
The Rev. Dr. Mark Boyea is senior minister at the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ.