The Unbearable Abundance of Spirituality
Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance
Wilfred M. McClay
July 1, 1997
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy
Is the current vogue of interest in "spirituality" a bane or boon? It is not easy to say. Consider, for example, the popularity of a book like Simple Abundance, the recently published "daybook of comfort and joy" for women by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Simple Abundance is the devotional equivalent of the bumper sticker slogan—invariably attached to Volvos, Saabs, or Audis—that reads, "Live simply that others may simply live."
It turns out that living in "simple abundance" means having five custom-tailored gowns in your closet, rather than ten off the rack. Seek ye first the Kingdom of Good Taste—and all other things shall be added unto you, particularly a great sense of personal style. The body is the temple of the Spirit—so pamper yourself with long, luxurious baths. Bring your spirit into sync with your lifestyle so that everything you do is an expression of your authentic self, "as you choose the tastiest vegetables from your garden, search for treasures at flea markets, establish a sacred space in your home for meditation, and follow the rhythm of the seasons and the year." Sanctimonious self-indulgence is a cheap form of cheap grace—though the products of Coco Chanel, who is quoted in Ban Breathnach's book as an authority on simple abundance, cost plenty of money.
The most shocking part of Simple Abundance, however, is the way I found out about it. It was given to my wife as a Christmas present by an old and treasured friend, a woman who was a Christian long before my wife was, and whose example had been important at an earlier time. This gift of Simple Abundance, and the fervent inscription accompanying it, bespoke a deeply confused mind and heart. ...
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