I've been going through (what I hope isn't just) a phase lately, where I'm being more and more attracted to the "primal" or "paleo" lifestyle, basically just thinking like a hunter/gatherer. Truth be told, I guess, I've always been a little bit of a caveman, but there is just something that is alluring to me about the minimalism, simplicity, and character born out of a life of necessity. While the patriarchs definitely didn't have a soft life, they probably did have a better appreciation for the things that were truly necessary, as opposed to all the crap that we fill our lives with.
Now, this has mostly been affecting the way I think about food and fitness. I had a realization while I was looking for something to lift for my CrossFit workout a little while ago, because my apartment gym is full of a bunch of garbage (read machines) with it's only saving grace being a decent set of dumb-bells. Anyway, I was looking for a substitute weight and realized, "I don't need dumb-bells and bar-bells. Nature is full of heavy things that I can lift. When was the last time hat I had to pick up something with perfect, centered little handles in my daily life anyway?". God made (most of) our bodies to move in very efficient ways, and to be capable of incredible feats of fitness. There is something very profound about natural movement. And the patriarchs were hip to this. Some how we have gotten away from this simple concept; we've lost sight of many of the simple truths of the simplicity of the way God designed and created us, and tried to devise our own "new and improved" (read arrogant and foolish) ways of doing things. It screams with pride and vanity and self-seeking glory. It over complicates the most simple of actions. And now, what would have been a normal function of everyday life (like running, bending, lifting, climbing, etc.), and the healthy diet that occurs naturally from foraging, are just one more demand on our over-busy schedules and over-squeezed budgets (eating healthily can be very expensive). So that now this philosophy has started to bleed over into most everypart of my life.
We try to fix the problem of overcomplicated lives by adding more things to our day, rather than seeking what is true; seeking what is necessary, and eliminating the extraneous.
When we read in the Old Testament, especially pre-Noahic Genesis, we read about men who "walked with God". I think that this was probably due in part to the state of the world at the time. God hasn't stopped walking with us. He is EVERYWHERE. But we just get ourselves so wrapped up in everything that is unimportant, tiny, and insignificant in this temporary vapor we call our life, that we miss Him every day. I think that when we seek to live more out of neccesity than the "how much extra can I get" mentatlity; more need than greed; more require than desire; then we will probably find how richly blessed we really are. It all boils down to truth. We have to seek truth.
In coming posts I will be featuring websites, books, and other good sources of a neccesity driven lifestyle. Until then ...
Nikao,
Tom
Now, this has mostly been affecting the way I think about food and fitness. I had a realization while I was looking for something to lift for my CrossFit workout a little while ago, because my apartment gym is full of a bunch of garbage (read machines) with it's only saving grace being a decent set of dumb-bells. Anyway, I was looking for a substitute weight and realized, "I don't need dumb-bells and bar-bells. Nature is full of heavy things that I can lift. When was the last time hat I had to pick up something with perfect, centered little handles in my daily life anyway?". God made (most of) our bodies to move in very efficient ways, and to be capable of incredible feats of fitness. There is something very profound about natural movement. And the patriarchs were hip to this. Some how we have gotten away from this simple concept; we've lost sight of many of the simple truths of the simplicity of the way God designed and created us, and tried to devise our own "new and improved" (read arrogant and foolish) ways of doing things. It screams with pride and vanity and self-seeking glory. It over complicates the most simple of actions. And now, what would have been a normal function of everyday life (like running, bending, lifting, climbing, etc.), and the healthy diet that occurs naturally from foraging, are just one more demand on our over-busy schedules and over-squeezed budgets (eating healthily can be very expensive). So that now this philosophy has started to bleed over into most everypart of my life.
We try to fix the problem of overcomplicated lives by adding more things to our day, rather than seeking what is true; seeking what is necessary, and eliminating the extraneous.
When we read in the Old Testament, especially pre-Noahic Genesis, we read about men who "walked with God". I think that this was probably due in part to the state of the world at the time. God hasn't stopped walking with us. He is EVERYWHERE. But we just get ourselves so wrapped up in everything that is unimportant, tiny, and insignificant in this temporary vapor we call our life, that we miss Him every day. I think that when we seek to live more out of neccesity than the "how much extra can I get" mentatlity; more need than greed; more require than desire; then we will probably find how richly blessed we really are. It all boils down to truth. We have to seek truth.
In coming posts I will be featuring websites, books, and other good sources of a neccesity driven lifestyle. Until then ...
Nikao,
Tom
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