6th June 2022

I stumbled across Becky Hall and her book “The art of enough” on the Greenbelt Festival website. “Enough” doesn’t sound very appealing. Don’t we want better than that – abundance, generosity, good things overflowing perhaps? Then I read the back cover of the book: “Ever feel like you aren’t enough? Overwhelmed by too many demands? Concerned about over-consumption and the climate crisis?” With a to do list that always seems to get longer rather than shorter, and a concern that we don’t seem to be doing enough about climate change, she had my attention!

“Enough” is being used in the context of a point somewhere between scarcity and excess. I’ve only just received the book so I haven’t read it yet. It’s hard not to start playing with this concept though.

During the pandemic some had to switch to working from home – on one level a privilege open to the few – but not without risk – of work-life boundaries blurring and work becoming all consuming. Others found their working lives suddenly put on hold, whilst the bills still kept coming in.

In the news we hear that calories are to be printed on restaurant menus to help people avoid ill health through over consumption… whilst not so far away others are going hungry and skipping meals so their children can eat.

I find it intriguing, thought provoking and challenging to learn that members of the Iona Community sign up for “accounting with one another for the use of our gifts, money and time, our use of the earth’s resources”. How often do we think through these challenges and choices with one another?

Ruth Allen