The growing disparity between those who have and those who have-not, and the injury poverty inflicts upon the poor, here in the United States and around the world, has received growing attention in recent months.
A “Century Marks” report by Oxfam (The Oxford Committee for Famine Relief) noted in its January issue that the 85 richest people in the world have as much wealth as the poorest half of the world’s population, or 3.5 billion people.
Oxfam’s executive director observed in the report that “this tiny elite … could all fit comfortably on a double-decker bus.”
The Oxfam report concluded that “world poverty cannot be tackled without addressing wealth inequality and the political power that often accompanies it.”
The New York Times, referencing the Oxfam report, noted that “children growing up in poverty tend to do less well in school and, over a lifetime, earn less.” And, that the Oxfam data points out that poor children tend to suffer from “depression, substance abuse and disease” in later life.
Parental care can overcome some of these problems, but an 11-year study at the University of North Carolina revealed that the stress of poverty prevents parents from being able to provide meaningful nurturance to their children.
At the World Economic Forum in January, participants were informed that, “Inequality between the rich and the poor will likely cause more unrest around the world.” Much of the turmoil taking place in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Egypt – though the unrest appears to be defined by sectarianism – is the result of masses of people, especially young males, who have no way of earning a living. The poverty of these populations are exasperated, it should be noted, by the damage done to the land by climate change.
Even in the most recent political flare-up in the Ukraine, much of that unrest can be attributed to the ravages of poverty in that country.
The problem the world confronts is economic, to be sure, aggravated by the ravages of climate change. But at the root of both dilemmas is a spiritual malady that infects the well-being of human beings with one another and with the world.
Spirituality, regardless of the religious or humanistic tradition it arises from, is a force that centers the heart and mind. Spirituality is, in reality, not a falsely pious attitude; but rather an attitude of affirmation of one’s humanity and one’s relationship with other human beings, other creatures and the world of nature, as well as for the religiously inclined a relationship with their God. True spirituality connects us and affirms the truth that life is only meaningful when we are all engaged in a symbiotic relationship.
The spiritual disease that presently affects us, and our world, is a spirit of antagonism. It feeds on distrust and fear, and out of fear it leads us into a life dominated by selfishness.
Jesus, in the resurrection narrative of John’s gospel, finds the disciples fearful and in hiding. When he comes among them, he breathes a spirit of peace upon them. This spirit of peace centers them in their true humanity. Then, out of that peace, they become empowered to connect with the world in a positive way.
The world is in need of a breath that will center us in peace. Only such a spirit will lead us into overcoming the gross poverty and economic inequality that affects the world. Only such a breath will lead us into a life of harmony with our precious and fragile planet.
That breath is available to us all regardless of our religious persuasions. It is, as the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh suggests, simply a matter of stopping for a moment in order to mindfully breathe. So, let us stop and breathe deeply.
