A Principle of Non-Attachment

“The love of worldly possessions entangles the soul and prevents it from flying to God.” - St. Augustine

Rich Mullins died about a decade ago. Recently people are starting to learn how amazing his life was, outside of music. For example, at the end of his life Rich’s records were selling at the top of the Christian charts – he was easily making 6 figures a year. But in an attempt to free himself from the temptations of greed and materialism, he decided to take the average man’s working wage, which at the time was $24,000 a year. The rest was administered by his accountant and friend Jim Dunning to be given away to those in need. In an interview, Jim Dunning told a typical story about Rich Mullins:

Rich called me one time and said, “Do I have any money?” and I said, “Sure, what do you need?” He then told me about a teacher he met [who] was trying to raise money to send some kids on a wilderness trip, and he needed around three thousand dollars to do it. Rich said, “Do I have enough to do that?” He had more than enough, but he didn’t want to know how much. I told him, “Yes,” and he said, “Then can you send it to this guy?” And I did. (Quoted in James Bryan Smith, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven, 169)

Not all of us are called to Rich's lifestyle (he was single, with no dependents, and often had people provide him with meals and lodging because of who he was). But we can all work toward non-attachment, not becoming a slave to material things. The less you own, the less you have, the less you are controlled and dominated by things of the world, the more freedom you have to live a generous life toward God and other people. Simplicity and non-attachment are aids to living a big life.