Simplicity.

This morning I re-read the first chapter of Primal, Mark Batterson’s new book on what he calls “the quest for the lost soul of Christianity”. I’m beginning a five-part sermon series based on his book and the Greatest Commandment this Sunday. In that introduction to his book, he talks about simplicity of faith and of life.


Simplicity is something that I believe most of us strive for. I haven’t met anybody yet that wished they could further complicate their lives, at least not intentionally. As we enter tax season, I KNOW that nobody’s wishing they’d mix up tax code a little more!

In fact, the only people I can think of that would like to complicate life a little more are those who would benefit from the ability to exploit others. In other words, if you can complicate someone else’s life and prosper from it, you may be in favor of complexity.

Thom Rainer, CEO of Lifeway, published a book a few years ago entitled Simple Church. In 2009, it was followed up with Simple Life, attempting to give perspective to how we can simplify our lives and how that can honor God. Simple Church is a good read for any church leader. It’s about simplifying our churches to make them more vision driven and equip them for greater impact in specialized ways. This ministry philosophy is long overdue since the days when more was better in terms of churches. Now, we’re trying to move away from the ecclesiastical approach to ministry – where we try to do “everything under the sun.”

Batterson brings a distinction between different kinds of simplicity and a warning. There’s simplicity on the near side of complexity and simplicity on the far side of complexity. Oliver Wendell Holmes, former Chief Justice, said “I would not give a fig for simplicity on the near side of complexity.”

The difference? Simplicity on the far side of complexity is only achieved by voyaging through complexity. It’s surviving the confusion, experiencing the disarray of life, acknowledging the mysteries of God and creation, and arriving at your own values, priorities, and simplicity of philosophy in life.

Simplicity on the near side of complexity is just the opposite. It’s the equivalent of allowing others to spoon-feed you life or sticking your head in the sand and ignoring the complexity and mystery of life. It’s the kind of simple we talk about when we call someone simple-minded. It’s not a compliment.

Too many Christians settle for simplicity on the near side of complexity. Their faith never goes beyond Sunday worship attendance. They think they can count on a minister to live their faith for them.

How sad will the realization be when they are forced to come to terms with the blessings they HAVE missed out on and the ones they WILL miss out on as a result.

Primal, and my upcoming sermon series, are based on the Greatest Commandment. When Jesus was asked by the teachers of the law which of the 613 commandments in the Old Testament was the greatest, Jesus offered them this command: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Simplicity.

All else in faith hangs on this commandment. If we love God, everything else God wants from us, holiness in this life and the next, will manifest as a result. The better we love God, the more we love others, the closer we come to perfection.

But don’t misunderstand. This isn’t some sort of divine Cliff’s Notes for faith in Christ. On the contrary, this is simplicity on the far side of complexity. In order to love God, you have to do more than state that love. Love is more than a feeling or declaration; it’s more than an occasional action. Love is a lifestyle.

In order to love God with all heart, mind, soul, and strength, we have to know God and know ourselves. We also cannot hold back any part of ourselves. But, when you begin to “figure out” how to love God fully, simplicity derives from that relationship.

Simplicity in faith that resides on the near side of complexity is the kind that crumbles under pressure and has very little to offer others.

Consider this: Tuesday evening, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, destroying buildings, the country’s infrastructure, and maiming and killing tens of thousands of people. Horrible.

Do you know why most of those buildings collapsed? It was their construction.

The vast majority of buildings in Haiti are constructed from concrete. It’s cheap, easy to shape, and a great insulator during hot summers. Concrete is also a strong material, when reinforced with rebar. Rebar is a steel rod placed inside the concrete form that give added strength and support to the concrete.

Pouring concrete is simple with, or without, rebar. Build forms, mix materials, pour the mix, and wait for it to set. The difference is what that concrete will stand up to later. Most people in Haiti either don’t have access to rebar or the money with which to buy it.

Our faith can be like that concrete house. If it’s on the near side of complexity, it’s as if it hasn’t been reinforced with rebar. If it’s simple, but on the far side of complexity, its solid enough to be a bunker and able to withstand anything nature or people can throw at it.
So continue to seek out simplicity for your life. God wants that for us. But by all means, make sure it’s the right kind of simplicity. Don’t settle for laziness and false dependency on the faith of others. Study God, talk with God, practice faith, discipline yourself, explore the mysteries of God, and at the far side of complexity you will find simplicity.