Christian Mission and Poverty

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Christian Mission and Poverty

they truly cut off the venomous sting of selfish sensuality that deals eternal death. And it surely is venomous. For just as venom is painful to the body and ultimately cases death unless a person makes the effort to vomit it out and take some medicine, so it is with this scorpion of the world’s pleasure. I am not speaking of material things in themselves. I have already told you that these are good and that they are made by me, the greatest Good, and so you can use them as you please with holy love and truthful fear. What I am speaking of is the venom of a perverted human will, which poisons souls and causes them death, unless they vomit it up through a holy confession, tearing their heart and affection free from it. Such confession is a medicine that heals the effects of this venom even while it tastes bitter to selfish sensuality . . . 2. Now I want to tell you just a little bit about the ways I have to help my servants who trust in me in their bodily needs. I provide for all of them, but they receive my help perfectly or imperfectly according to how perfect or imperfect, how detached from the world and themselves, they are. Take for example my poor—those who are poor in spirit and in will, that is in spiritual intent. I do not simply say “poor,” because there are many who are poor but would rather not be. These are rich so far as their will is concerned, and beggars insofar as they neither trust in me nor willingly bear the poverty I have given them as medicine for their souls because wealth would have been bad for them and would have been their damnation. My servants, on the other hand, are poor but not beggars. Beggars often do not have what they need and suffer great