Today is Blog Action Day, a day designated for bloggers worldwide to write about one subject. For 2008, the subject is poverty. In light of the current global economic situation, it strikes me that poverty is on the minds of many, and in many ways.
Most certainly, there are millions on our planet who lack the financial means to sustain a humane existence. Living on one or two dollars (US equivalency) a day, even significantly more in the US, does not grant vital access to food, health care, education, or housing - among the basic needs that Abraham Maslow outlined. Food banks, charitable grants, government services, non-profit agencies, and the like, feverishly work to cover the vast holes of poverty with limited resources and services. Some are sufficient; others less so.
On a grander scale, poverty encompasses more than a scarcity of monetary resources. Poverty and deprivation can lead to a depletion of the spirit, a feeling of being ignored and not cared for, a sense that "I don't matter." But poverty of spirit is not limited to those of lesser financial means. Even those with adequate, even superior, financial resources, can lack a spirit that enables them to see their wholeness as a blessed being.
That's what we should speak up about, in addition to our cries for more food and housing. What resources are available to help those who feel the pull of society's back being turned on them? Yes, writing a check helps. There's no doubt about that. What is of as great a benefit, though, is a smile passed on to a panhandler, whether you give or not. Writing a letter to a soldier at war. Volunteering to counsel, train, teach, coach, and console those for whom the future appears dim. Staffing a crisis line for those considering their last alternative.
Poverty is a global crisis. Whether and how this problem will ever be eased requires great thought, planning, resources, and commitment, in addition to an end to nonsensical wars and personal greed. But much can be done to end the poverty of spirit. Words are not always enough, but they do have an impact. Intentional, purposeful, trusting words. Words that acknowledge, encourage, and inspire.
RemarkAble Woman, you have a voice. I encourage you to use it in support of those who are silenced, ignored, or discounted. If that is you, seek help. Everyone deserves to experience the warmth and joy and grace of self-awareness and consciousness; to know that they are special regardless of their circumstances.
What will you do today?
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