Cheerful poverty, taking it slow, antidote for FOMO

Seneca writes in his second letter to Lucilius, "Nothing to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well ordered mind than a man's ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company."

In the same letter, Seneca writes further, " 'A cheerful poverty,' he (Epicurus) says, 'is an honourable state.' But if it is cheerful it is not poverty at all. It is not the man who has too little who is poor, but the one who handers after more."

"...if he is always after what is another's and only counts what he has yet to get, never what he has already. You ask what is the proper limit to a person's wealth? First, having what is essential, and second, having what is enough."

Rev. Michael Schuler said, in his sermon at First Unitarian Society of Madison on 02/03/13 entitled "Take It Slow", "For the natural world that helps us thrive, greed and speed must give way to more sensible values: generosity, forbearance, sympathy, humility, and patience. As another quote from Lao Tse reminds us, 'Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.'"

We live in a contemporary society where it has been noted that we live in a period of "great acceleration". Even our planetary climate is being affected. Mary Pipher writes in her book, The Green Boat, "The trauma of our personal lives and the rapidity of the deterioration of our planet are deeply connected. Hominids have been around for at least two million years and homo sapiens for two hundred thousand. Yet it is only in the last 250 years that as a species we have changed our core systems of the planet. The atmospheric scientist Paul Crutzen calls this span of time the Anthropocene. Humans are changing our earth's biological and chemical composition. Unless we make radical changes, the Anthropocene will be painfully and sadly short." p.22

Rev. Schuler says, "Unfortunately, in American Culture slowness gets a bad rap, so people are often reluctant to adopt practices that promote it. Yes, more sophisticated types have joined the 'slow food' movement, but in general slowness is equated with laziness, lethargy, lack of motivation, and even stupidity. Someone hesitates for a few moments before responding to a question or comment, and we peg him or her as 'slow-witted' rather than thoughtful."

Mary Pipher writes in her book, The Green Boat, " Still, many people are hooked. Scientists have discovered that every time we hear the blip or ding of an e-mail or text message a small amount of dopamine is released into our brains. We humans are programmed to be curious and it is natural to want to know more, more, and more. Therapists have coined a phrase for this new addiction: FOMO, or "fear of missing out."

Seneca, Schuler, Pipher are attempting, in their own ways, to answer the same question, "When is enough, enough?" Can we be satisfied with less? Seneca writes that the wise person already knows that less is better because it gives rise to contentment while greed for more gives rise to anxiety and fear of deprivation. Pipher asks us to be aware and curb our natural tendency to act on our FOMO. And Schuler, the Unitarian Universalist preacher says, "Take it slow", man.

Perhaps, we will rediscover the old religious clerical practices of obedience, poverty, and chastity. If not, at the very least, let us learn to be happy with less. Voluntary poverty, like the new celibacy, might lead to an awareness of and obedience to the natural laws of nature which will save our species on this earth and help their practitioners create a sense of joy in their lives. Taking it slow, forgoing FOMO, and voluntary poverty are a manifestation of the Unitarian Universalist seventh principle, a respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are just one, little, bitty, tiny part.

My Kind of Church Music - Feelin' groovy, Simon and Garfunkel

My Kind Of Church Music - What is truth?, Johnny Cash

Rev. Galen Guengerich, Senior Pastor at All Soul's in New York City, writes in his book, God Revised: How Religion Must Evolve in a Scientific Age" that Johnny Cash's song , What is truth? was a favorite song of his in his Mennonite youth on page 21.

Jesus came to teach us the fundamental unity of all existence - We are family

Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Pastor, at All Soul's Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma gave a wonderful sermon on May 18, 2014 entitle "The Original Lie". The Original Lie is the belief that human beings are separate from God and live in fear of God. This is what the serpent would have us believe. Not so says Rev. Lavanhar. Jesus came to teach us about the fundamental unity of all existence. Jesus said we have to love our enemies. It is not a matter of us vs. them, but of we. Here's a snippet:



For more click here.

My Kind Of Church Music

Dilemma of the week - You see someone you don't like drop her wallet.

Today, Thursday, May 29, 2014 the UU Way Of Life online magazine is starting a new feature called Dilemma of the Week. Each week a moral dilemma will be provided and people are invited to comment on their ideas about the best way to handle it. If you would like to submit dilemmas of your own leave them in the comments or send them to davidgmarkham@gmail.com.

Dilemma for this week. A person you don't like, who has been mean to you in the past, and whom you are a little afraid of being hurt by again, drops her wallet. What would you do?

Onion reports nation is down to last 100 grown-ups and Markham says 80 of them are probably UUs

One of the last 100

The Onion headline reads "Nation Down To Last Hundred Grown-ups: Mature Adults Could Be Gone Within 50 Years, Experts Say"

As I thought further about who these last 100 Grown-Ups are, it dawned on me that 80% or 80 out of the last 100 probably are Unitarian Universalists.

Grown-ups can be distinguished from other contemporary homo sapiens by their rationality, foresight, personal responsibility, self discipline, tolerance of frustration especially in pursuit of longer term goals, compassion, empathic understanding of others, kindness, lack of impulse buying, and use of mood altering chemicals and activities in moderation and balance.

Grown-ups also tend to not just be tolerant but actually appreciate people who are different from themselves, interested in seeking the truth even outside their own comfort zone and if it means disturbing their status quo, and an appreciation of the interconnectedness of all things. Grown-ups suffer fools patiently and they are wise as serpents and innocent as doves to cop the words of J.C.

"It is no wonder that Unitarian Universalism is losing members," said Calvin Johnson, a life long UU. "There aren't that many mature grown-ups left. People are looking for answers and for someone to reassure them that if they do what they are told they will be rewarded. Most people are like children, they want immediate rewards for pleasing the dispenser of the goodies, and to know what the rules are so they can avoid doing the wrong thing and getting punished. It seems that people who can question, tolerate ambiguity, and listen to their own inner wisdom are rapidly vanishing. They are all looking at their smart phones, tablets, and laptops for the answers. God forbid they lost access to these gadgets, they'd actually have to think for themselves and rely on their own self sufficiency."

Prophetic woman who is a luminary - Maya Angelou

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."

What are you afraid of? - My Kind Of Church Music

"We're talking about the present," the social worker says but she can't fool me. The present is just fine, entirely capable of caring for itself. It is the future she has brought to frighten me, the future they mean to cast me into willy-nilly, with neither love nor grace. I know she'll want my daughter to assume responsibility for me, but I am reluctant to consume my daughter's life.

"Don't sell the house," I tell Andrea after the woman leaves.

"We have to. We need the money for the nursing home."

"If I don't go, then we don't need the money."

Linda McCullough Moore, "On My Way Now", The Sun, April, 2014, pp.18-19

Indeed, the present is entirely capable of taking care of itself. It is what it is as the Buddhists say. Jesus says, "Don't worry about tomorrow until tomorrow. Don't you have enough to worry about today?" And I say to myself, "Yes, indeed. Today is enough for any person, why be greedy?"

As Seneca writes in his ninth letter quoting of Stilbo "Any man," he says, "who does not think that what he has is more than ample, is an unhappy man, even if he is master of the whole world."

And Seneca goes on to write, "What difference does it make, after all, what your position in life is if you dislike it yourself?"

Seneca ends this ninth letter writing, "Only the wise man is content with what is his. All foolishness suffers the burden of dissatisfaction with itself."

As  Bobby McFerrin sang, Don't Worry, Be Happy"