Simplicity - Simplicity frees one of the clutter that interferes with communion with God. - Martin Cobin,  "The Value System of Friends", Southern Applacian Association of Friends, Crossville, Tennessee (May 1-3, 1970)

    To the earliest Friends, simplicity meant freeing oneself of all that was unnecessary and worldly.  Just as all ritual, program, clerical functions were seen as a hindrance to worship, so elaborate and insincere speech, as well as ornamentation of dress, were seen as distractions to the right ordering of life.   Adding an economic reason for simpicity, William Penn said that "th very trimmings of the vain would clothe all the naked ones."
    Simplicity leads us to be honest and straightforward in mind, tongue, and heart.  It can assist Friends in focusing on the essentials of life, in being open to spiritually, and in following the path of love.  For some Friends, this commitment has required a radical break with the conventional way of life in our materialistic age.   For all of us, seeking the inner light leads to a removal of distractions and an ordering of priorities so that we may be more open to the leadings of the Spirit.
    Simplicity need not mean a start denial but can create joy and beauty in our lives.  In use of time, habits of consumption, sharing of world resources, and indeed every aspect of daily life, simplicity is central for us because it both mirrors and deepens spiritual centeredness.