The Breathe Network was a Christian network for simpler living that was active a few years ago. The project was brought to a close in 2015, but the resources remain online. Among them is the Promise of Life, a prayer written as a response to consumerism.
Consumerism offers us happiness in all the wrong places – through what we buy, through status display, through envy. The Christian Gospel calls us to live outwardly, more concerned for others than for ourselves.
The Promise of Life turns our focus away from ownership and acquisition, and towards the gifts that we have already received. It is “not a list of rules but a covenant of aspirations, for people who want to move towards a simpler lifestyle.”
Read it, pray it, and see if it inspires a change of perspective.
The Promise of Life
Because life is a gift, we live it thankfully
Savouring what we have
Pray for what we need.
No longer hurried, distracted or worried,
We’ll walk through each moment with God.
Because everything is a gift, we live with open hands,
Treading lightly on the earth
Sharing freely our homes and our things.
No longer restlessly chasing identity,
We’ll be known by our love not our logos.
Because giving is a gift we live generously,
Give ourselves deeply to family and community,
Give joyfully to those in need.
No longer caught in the consumer dream,
We’ll invest our all in the kingdom of love.
Joy in Enough 