Poverty of Spirit

The book I am reading has had me in tears from all of the laughter, much to my wife’s amusement! It is titled, ‘Around Africa on my bicycle’ and is written by the hero of the story, Riaan Manser. Riaan is the mad chap who pedalled around our small continent a couple of years ago, a mere 36,000 kilometres.

Having spent a fair bit of time working in Africa over the last 18 months, I have a different appreciation for Africa and its people. That might be why I have found his commentary so amusing. It might also be that he has written a thoroughly humorous book!

One of his insights really struck me. He writes about the many people that he met along the way, most of whom were very poor. Yet he found them to be full of joy and incredibly generous with the little that they had. He wondered if most people who are well off have the joy of their material possessions but have perhaps lost the joy of life and the spirit of humanity that makes life wonderful.

I think it is entirely plausible that the wealthy have too much invested in wealth to risk losing it all to find true happiness and joy. Wealth continually breeds the need for more wealth, at the expense of everything else! The same is true of those with nothing who have much invested in their joy of life to risk losing it to find wealth. Although the opportunities to make the change are probably limited! Each side has something wonderful and yet it seems that finding the happy medium is incredibly difficult.

Is it possible that poverty can refer not only to material things but also to one's spirit?

Perhaps if you have managed to build a life that if filled with love, joy, complete peace of mind, and just enough to survive on; you have found the elusive Holy Grail?

Joy

I was wondering about the relativity of joy.

Definitions from a couple of web dictionaries define joy as rejoicing as well as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.

If I had absolutely nothing; a free meal or a grotty jacket before winter would probably provide much joy. Both could be classified as exceptionally good or satisfying events. In my current situation, being forced to eat a meal from a soup kitchen or receiving a grotty jacket would be tough to handle. Interestingly enough, giving soup to a hungry person or giving away an old jacket would provide me with some measure of joy.

The question I have for myself is do I only rejoice in the big things like a new car, a baby’s birth, or an unexpected windfall? Have I become so jaded that I am unable to find joy in a smile or a kind word; the simple things of life that spring from loving hearts? Do I appreciate the dawn of each new day, the beauty that surrounds me, and the fact that I have been blessed with life for another day? And do I use each of those days to spread joy or bemoan the fact that I don’t have the things I really want?

Is it possible that whether I have nothing or own the world, the most valuable gift I can give is free and it comes from the heart? And it is in giving love and respect that I receive great joy and peace of mind?

Or is it better to work my butt off so I can go out and buy some cool stuff, knowing that it will soon break and become worthless. Then I can give it away and feel good that somebody else will get joy from it!

Just wondering...