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      I am a firm believer that one should not force Religion upon others; however, if an opportunity to witness my beliefs came about, I would take advantage of the situation. Here is one now. What is spiritual poverty? If you were to break up the two words they could have many different meanings. Together they form the lack of a life giving force. From a theological perspective the life giving force is God. When I look back on my spiritual life I can now see what I missed out on. This is a poverty that many may never recognize or possible not until they meet their life giving force. It would be easier for me to criticize why this is so, but instead I'll choose another path; a path one can take to elevate this poverty and understand it with knowledge.

      I propose for anyone to open their hearts and ask to be filled with God's spirit and love. This is the surest and quickest way to remove spiritual poverty and be filled with riches beyond the most exuberant imagination. Peace, joy and love are just a few of the gifts one receives from a baptism in this Spirit. Wisdom and knowledge bring a contentedness to the soul and is also a free gift; yet, it is more then just understanding, it is truth.

       It is hard for one to understand spiritual poverty if one has no faith or a religion in which to practice. Even those practicing (so to speak) may not recognize it. Unfortunately our society places to much emphasis on materialism and religion gets pushed aside or rejected.

      Essential to everyone's life is having a sense of belonging or a meaning to life. Religion fulfills this purpose. It answers man's three most basic questions. Where do we come from? Why are we here? Is there an after life? Since science has been unable to give a concrete answer to these questions, many people turn to religion as a way of life.

      Man needs to have a belief in a superior being. Saint Thomas Aquinas a great philosopher and theologian said, "you do not have to be a theologian to believe in God." He believed we could deduce through reason that there is a God. Through simple logical deduction, even science does not deny that there must be a first cause, the uncreated. Even the big bang theory had to have a first cause. God must be this first cause. In our search for God there are some who fall prey to false religions. Although these false or fanatical religions may be spirited, it is not in reference to the spirit I'm referring to. All throughout history there has been numerous different religions. This has led to the rise and fall of many fanatical leaders and followers. In recent times you may have seen some of these fanatics in airport lobbies or on street corners selling flowers for donations. They may have even knocked on your door asking you to buy their magazines. In our country one has the right to freedom of speech. We also have a separation of church and state. This has enabled us to be exposed to many different types of religions and fanatics and is another of the influencing factors causing spiritual poverty.

      The list of causes for spiritual poverty could be endless. I have just listed a few. What is important here is its recognition, understanding and concern. I believe at one point or another in ones life an opportunity for acceptance of God's Spirit will present itself. It has been suggested that religion is a crutch; that may be so, but I cannot think of a better means of "support".