There are so many requirements in life that I can’t remember them all. Gone are the days when I could live without a refrigerator. Banish the thought of being without a computer and web access. Don’t even think about taking away my mobile-phone! The list could easily go one but I think you get my point. I believe that there are fundamental, core, and essential requirements that every person should have within their grasp, or at least I think and behave as if there are. The list could be quite extensive and it even might vary a bit from person to person, however each of us have “things” that we must have without our possession and often within reach.
I know that my behavior affirms my list of requirements. I understand that it is easy to talk about others “requirements” and sound as if their list is somehow unworthy while mine is not only acceptable but also desirable, yet my question for others and myself is actually the same. Do we know what we are potentially losing? Do we understand what it core to our lives? Are we missing the fundamental building blocks to real living?
It strikes me as I read history that we are repeating a cycle that is centuries old. Joel observed that “the seeds in the field are dead, barns deserted, grain silos abandoned. Who needs them? The crops have failed!” (Joel 1.17)
Is the same true in your life or mine? Have I so lost sight of the real values and priorities in life that products of my hands have failed? Is there any need of these possessions if I have nothing to contribute?
The awesome thing about crops is that even if one cycle fails there is another season with fresh opportunities. The cycle of death gives birth to starting fresh – planting, nurturing, and watching the fruit of life itself come into bloom and harvest. In this context mobiles don’t matter, computers are not required, and refrigerators are irrelevant. The real stuff is hope, compassion, and engagement – requirements for life.
