SPIRITUAL NEEDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19373, 23 December 1932, Page 5

SPIRITUAL NEEDS.

To the Editor or The Timaru Herald." Sir,—l was interested by a letter in ypur columns of to-day’s issue, signed F.H.C., dealing with the spiritual needs of the hour, and, with your permission, I would like to comment on it. When I look around I find that the fruits of the earth are still more than humanity on the whole can consume, and that God has kept His promise faithfully that seedtime and harvest shall not cease. War, politics, and finance are things apart from God, for they are man made, and man in his selfishness has abused them. To my mind, the old maxim, “No sentiment in business,” is a stumbling block to our sincerely “asking God to help us solve our financial difficulties." When vve are producing and using the gifts of God to the common weal, then we can ask Him in sincerity—but I am thinking our common prayer would be one of thanksgiving. F.I-I.C. writes of ruin overshadowing us. I also fail to see ruin near at hand; but I do see the short-sighted-ness of our men in power, for men still have to labour eight hours a day with pick and shovel, when by using mach- j inery and reducing working hours there would be a paradise on earth. Shorter hours for everyone would also absorb a large proportion of the unemployed. Regarding finance, we must not look upon wealth as only money in the banks, for land, buildings, stock, machinery, etc., comprise the greater part of wealth; so the more we improve land, the more we build, the more we increase the numbers of our livestock, and the quantities of our raw materials, the more we create wealth. Under our present financial system, unless money (the medium of exchange) is in sight, development, or the creating of wealth, is stopped; consequently labour suffers for it, but the suffering reacts like a boomerang and deals a mortal blow to wealth. . . . Would it not then be better, rather than asking God to help us solve our financial difficulties, to keep our faith in Him, and keep on working and using Nature’s wonderful resources and the machinery that lies at our disposal, and so put our house in order? In doing so, I am sure our prayers would be those of thanksgiving.—l am. etc., OBSERVER. December 20, 1932.