In a recent sermon, our minister remarked that if all we care about is what we eat, what we wear and what we own, we will never be interested in Jesus. I remember smiling and thinking - Benedict's rule (written 1600 years ago) deals precisely with all those things!
What we eat? His guideline was that there should be two dishes on the table so that everyone would find something they liked. No tyrannical sense of: Eat it, whether you like it or not...
His guideline on clothing was that it should be clean, comfortable, in good condition and fit well... (Using his guideline has helped me weed out my closet.)
What we own... nothing! In Benedict's monastery, rich and poor came to live - and all gave up their personal possessions.
So - although these issues -what we eat, what we wear, what we own - shouldn't be all we care about, they definitely form an important part of our faith life.
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