When will we close the gap between the rich and the poor in our world…? When?
I know, I know…it’s the same old question. It’s the question all truly caring, compassionate — and, I want to say, civilized — people have been asking for decades, for centuries, for millennia. When. When???
This is, of course, not an economic problem. And it is not a political problem. This is a spiritual problem. It has to do with our most fundamental beliefs about Life, and about Who We Are, and about who we are In Relationship to Each Other.
There are those who say we are our brother’s keeper. But Conversations with God goes much further. It says, “You are more than ‘your brother’s keeper.’ You are your BROTHER. You and your Brother are One. There is no separation between you. All ideas of Separation are Illusions.”
I bring this all up today because, as you must surely know if you are not living in a cave somewhere, over 1,000 people have died in recent violence in Kenya in the wake of the re-election of its president, Mwai Kibaki. The political opposition claims that the election was stolen — but the big clashes in Kenya seem not to be about only this most recent upset, but about the long-term problem of the massive gulf between the upper and lower financial classes there.
Reuters New Services, in an analysis of Kenya’s events written by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura, reports that “Kenya is a land of stark contrast: the rich drive gleaming luxury cars, can afford to enrol their children in top British schools and in the case of one local magnate, send suits to London for dry cleaning. But most live a hand-to-mouth existence and some Kenyans believe the bloody post-election crisis that has exposed the east African country’s tribal divisions could also inflame the gulf between classes and further exacerbate instability.”
Describing what she called a “huge wealth gap,” the Reuters report said that in Kenya, 10 percent of the people control 42 percent of the economy, with the poorest 10 percent holding less than 1 percent, according to U.N. figures.
This is not news to the rest of the world — and it is certainly not news to readers of Conversations with God, which has been pointing out in book after book that a tiny percentage of the world’s people hold the largest percentage of the world’s wealth — and that this imbalance is going to lead to inevitable conflict on our planet unless and until something is done to help those billions who live in abject poverty.
In the case at hand, for instance, “almost half of Kenya’s 36 million people live on a dollar a day and most struggle to put their children through school or pay for decent health care,” Reuters reports. On the other hand, Reuters reports, “Cabinet ministers take home more than 1 million shillings ($13,820) a month.”
That’s over $13,820 per month versus $36 per month, in case you missed those numbers, or read right past them, tsk-tsking.
Small wonder there’s violence taking place. Tomorrow we’ll look more closely at the Kenyan situation. But the real question is, not just “What’s going on in Kenya?”, but rather, What’s going on in the human heart that allows anybody, or any group, to treat anyone else like that?
And, of course, this is not just a Kenyan problem. The problem of way-off-balance distribution of wealth is a problem that has affected every country in the world at one time or another — and affects most to this very day.
And the reason this is true has to do, as I’ve said, not with economics and not with politics, but with our spiritual beliefs, our most sacred, fundamental beliefs about humanity, about God, about the process we are all undergoing here that we call Life…
One day we will all “get” who we are in relationship to each other. But that day will only come when humanity as a whole embraces a new set of understandings, a new set of beliefs, about who we are as a species, and about what it means to be human.
I call these new beliefs, loosely, the New Spirituality. And it is what is going to be needed in the world today if we are going to survive, if we are going to be able to live life as we have known it on this planet (with a few improvements for a great many), and if we are going to have any kind of decent world at all to hand over to our children and our children’s children.
Oh, there is so much to say on this. So very much to say! I’ll pick up on this topic tomorrow. Meanwhile, I want you to ask God…ask the God of your understanding…what is Right and True and Good with regard to all of this? Will humanity ever graduate to the point where, in any country, humans would never allow government officials to earn almost $14,000 a month while poor people have $36 to stretch across those same 30 days?
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posted February 18, 2008 at 8:03 am
what was first: The chicken or the egg?
posted February 18, 2008 at 9:22 am
Until the big egos of the rulers (the men) disappear, this will continue. Now the false sense of self (the ego) needs all the wealth to convince itself that it exists and is somebody special. The more wealth one has, the more important one is.
posted February 18, 2008 at 12:43 pm
neale,
how do you go about personally sharing your wealth?
or do you just think globally, and not really act?
just wondering
posted February 18, 2008 at 12:49 pm
WHAT I FIND IRONIC IS THAT EVERYONE IN LIFE AT THIS TIME IS ALWAYS IN RELATIONSHIP TO SOMEONE ELSE ESP. WHERE CLASS RANK IS CONCERNED. WHAT IF WE KILLED OFF ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF LOWER CLASSES OR ALLOWED THEM TO DIE FROM STARVATION, ILLNESS ECT. AND WASHED ALL OF OUR WORRIES AWAY. WHERE THEN WOULD THOSE PEOPLE FIT INTO THE DELINEATED CLASS STRUCTURE??
MIGHT THEY BECOME THE LOWER CLASS?? AND HOW WOULD THEY FEEL?? I BELIEVE YOUR RIGHT THIS IS NOT AN ECONOMIC CHALLENGE IT IS SPIRITUAL. FOR YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR BROTHER’S WOES UNTIL YOU HAVE WALKED A MILE IN HIS SHOES. IT MIGHT BE WISE TO THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE YOU GET THERE TO FIND THAT HE NO LONGER HAS SHOES TO WALK IN!!
posted February 18, 2008 at 1:04 pm
ANOTHER THOUGHT I’VE HAD. I HAVE THIS REOCURRING DREAM THAT I’M STANDING WITH SOME PEOPLE AND I’M INFRONT OF THEM PROTECTING THEM? BUT DEFINETLY STANDING UP FOR THEM AND WHAT I KNOW AS RIGHT. I KNOW THAT I MIGHT DIE DOING THIS AND EVENTUALLY I AM KILLED AND THE DREAM ENDS. I HAVE IT AGAIN AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE I’VE ASKED OVER AND OVER, AND IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME!! I DON’T DIE. I KEEP COMING BACK AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES TO GET IT RIGHT. FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, “IF SHE IS WILLING TO COME BACK OVER AND OVER AND SACRIFICE HERSELF IT MUST BE PRETTY IMPORTANT” AND “MAYBE WE SHOULD LEARN FROM HER SACRIFICE THAT THIS CAUSE IS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY THAT THERE IS MORE TO IT THAT WE NEED TO SEE.” I KNOW DEATH MEANS REBIRTH AND I’M HOPING THAT MY DYING BRINGS BACK NEW INSIGHTS, NEW THOUGHTS, NEW AWARENESS, AND A MESSAGE THAT EVENTUALLY SPREADS LIKE WILDFIRE THROUGH THE CONCIOUSNESSES OF EVERY CELL IN EXISTENCE.
posted February 18, 2008 at 1:44 pm
My husband and I recently experienced this sad state of affairs in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. My husband took a job position on this island. After 3 months of witnesing the very poor and abused in stark contrast the the very rich and abusive, my husband chose to quit the job he had accepted. It became a daily torture for him to be witness to the outrageous abuse that appears to be the norm on that island. Our hearts ache for those who receive such unjust treatment at the hands of those who have so much. I often send the request to the universe to meet the needs of those people…both the abused and the abusive. Only the universe has the answer to open the eyes of those that do not see and to teach them another way of Being…’as long as one of us are in chains, none of us are free’.
posted February 18, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Neale,
The answer is “Soon.” Dec. 21, 2012 is less than 5 years away. It may be sooner than that if humanity wakes up to how the Law of grace functions in Life.
As soon as 12 souls join to understand, appreciate, and share the Law of Grace, changes will soon follow. As you are aware, “Happier than God” is one of many steps in the realization of a more gracious planet within a gracious Universe.
We are all One. One designed it this way before embarking on the journey of Many.
The Law of Grace is the Graciously Organized Design of One Absolute Awareness. One might choose to be aware of this. One has. Soon more will. Namaste.
posted February 19, 2008 at 6:42 am
I am new to all of this and I am here I think for several reasons. I don’t need to go into them, but my point is that I am a bit overwhelmed by it all at times. I can say that I almost always have felt that I was here to do grand things, but I definately am now MORE aware that I have a particular purpose, by this I mean I know God has a particular plan for my part in this life. I feel there is a very distinct thing that I am supposed to do. I just haven’t determined what that particular thing is.
I think because I am the type to want to right all the wrongs that I see(the hurts that people cause) and I have been very gifted when it comes to creativity, that I often lose focus. I right now feel like I am going in sooo many different directions as what I can do that I’m afraid I am doing nothing. I know in my heart that this is not true because God keeps sending me children that need something from me (sometimes they need someone to listen, sometimes to give them a different view of things, sometimes to help them in abusive situations, often to just give them a hug.) I know I have been gifted by an extremely bad childhood and even though these kids don’t know my background, they are drawn to me. I know I went through what I did because it now enables me to help these kids, but I want to do more.
I find that I am constantly frustrated by the feeling of my hands being tied in some way or another. I know the things I have done and am doing are important, but I have this feeling that I am supposed to be doing it on a much grander level and I can’t peg what it is. I know I have to operate within God’s timing and I don’t know if I am just being impatient, or if I am missing the mark. I think I am keeping my eyes open and I have taken some steps, but nothing has come of them. Does anyone have words of advice?
Love to All!
Kim
posted February 19, 2008 at 9:29 am
TO KIM G. I HOPE THAT YOU DO NOT MIND ME REPLYING, BUT I SEE SIMILAR WORDS IN YOUR ENTRY THAT I HAD ONCE MUTTERED MYSELF. IRONICALLY, I SIGNED UP FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A FREE COURSE WITH A FRIEND OF MR. WALSCH, MR. CANFIELD. I COULDN’T AFFORD IT AND THOUGHT GREAT, I WAS REALLY HOPING THAT IT WOULD HELP ME FIND MY PATH, MY MISSION AND IRONICALLY AGAIN, I HEARD MYSELF TALKING TO HIS TRAINERS AND SOON FOUND I WAS IN FACT “DOING” WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE TO! IT IS WHAT IT IS. WE JUST TRY SO HARD TO PUT A FACE ON IT, AND GOSH THIS MAKES IT SO MUCH MORE FRUSTRATING AND TAKES SO…MUCH ENERGY. THE POINT IS WHO ARE WE TRYING TO IMPRESS, WE LOSE ENERGY IN THIS TOO. I AM A MOTHER AND A WIFE WHO WAS TRYING TO BE MORE. I HOMESCHOOL, I TEACH MY CHILDREN TO EXPLORE, ENTERTAIN NEW IDEAS AND NEVER LOSE THEIR OPEN MINDS. BUT MOSTLY, I WANT THEM TO FEEL WHAT OTHERS FEEL, THEN CONCENTRATE NOT ON THE ATROCITIES, BUT THE SOLUTION THAT “WE” AS INDIVIDUALS CAN PROVIDE WHAT PART CAN I REALISTICALLY PLAY IN THIS, AND THEN KNOW THAT WHATEVER PART I PLAY NO MATTER THE SIZE IT IS ALL PART OF THE WHOLE. PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS BY NATURE THEY HAVE A NEED TO BELONG, IF YOU DO IT THEY WILL FOLLOW. WHEN MY FAMILY FOUND OUT I WAS HAVING ANOTHER CHILD, (MY FIFTH, WE HAVE EIGHT TOTAL) SOME THOUGHT IT WAS TOO MUCH–I DIDN’T, BUT TO MY SURPRISE, ONE OF MY BROTHERS SAID,”WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE, SHE MAY BE RAISING THE NEXT PEACE KEEPER, OR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.” I’M SIMPLY A WOMAN WHO IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHICH MEANS STARTING WITH MY KIDS. I AM SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR THEM AND HAVING FAITH THAT IF I START THEY WILL FOLLOW AND OTHERS WILL FOLLOW THEM AND HOPEFULLY BECAUSE IT ALL MAKES SENSE AND FEELS SO GOOD.
posted February 20, 2008 at 4:14 am
Michelle,
First of all, I do love reading your comments and I admire the way your have of putting things. You will never offend me because I know and can tell you have a kind heart and speak from it. I appreciated you writing me.
I have been told that I very often try too hard. I also have a big heart full of love and I just want to share it sooo much, and by making as many people come to learn as I have that they are worth much much more than they realize. I came from a very harsh childhood and never felt loved or valued. Now I know that it never had to come from others.
The day I realized that looking back, God was with me, talking to me, and protecting me, was not that long ago. I am forty two and only recently found out the extent of this. I have learned that God is proud of the extreme distance I have traveled in this life time. I never had anyone feel proud of me.
These are the best feelings I have ever experienced! I want to share that feeling with as many people as I can! I know the world is soooo full of people who are in the situation spiritually and physically that I was in and I want them all to learn that it does get unbelievably better! They need to know it starts from within and not with those around us.
So as you can see and I also now see, even more as I write this that maybe I was also confusing frustration with extreme excitement. (I have had to litterally learn what emotions cause what feelings. I guess I just learned another one. In my past, I was reprimanded for having emotions and they got jumbled up, but I am a different person today despited of, and because of my past. I am thankful for it!)Yet there is a certain frustration that I get when once I find out the truth and start seeing it around me, (how we tend to hold ourselves back), it is hard to just be patient.
I am going to print off your reply and put it on my refrigerator so that when I find myself feeling this way again, I will be reminded that as long as I am being myself, I am doing my best. I often need to remind “my self” that if God finds me acceptable and is proud of me, then who am I to complain about me.
Thank you Michelle for taking the time to lift me up. I needed it!
God Bless you in abundance!
Kim
posted February 20, 2008 at 10:13 am
DEAR KIM.
I AM HONORED, BUT MOSTLY I AM HAPPY TO SHARE. I TOO LEARN FROM YOU WHEN WE SHARE. ISN’T THAT PARTLY OUR REASON FOR WRITING HERE! IT REALLY IS A PERPETUAL CIRCLE. WRITE ME ANYTIME.
MICHELLE
posted February 20, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Why is everyone so amazed that a very percentage of the people control the majority of wealth? It is that way also in the USA. I thought their was this universal law “the law of attraction” that you people purport to believe. So why does it seem unfair to all of you (including Walsch) that the rich get richer and the poor stay poorer? The people with the money are thinking the thoughts that make them richer and the poor think thoughts that make them poorer. You only have yourselves to blame for this situation. Metaphysics and especially the Unity Church constantly harp on abundance and how our thoughts create my reality. The poor people create their reality and the rich create theirs. I think it sucks to. The reason I feel anger and hate towards Walsch and his message is because not one of you have risen above the world to make it a better place. The ego is still very much in charge. Everyone of you reading this is trying to make your life adapt to the rules of the ego especially in the areas of wealth and prosperity. Please, either do something, make changes, or shut up!
posted February 21, 2008 at 1:36 pm
DEAR WAYNE WILLIAMS,
I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO HEAR YOUR VIEWS AND YOUR SOLUTIONS TO THESE VERY PROBLEMS? THERE ARE SOME SIMILARITIES IN YOUR VOICE THAT SOUND MUCH LIKE MR. WALSCH’S BEFORE CWG. I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO HEAR YOUR VIEWS ON THESE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES, AS WELL AS YOUR SOLUTIONS.
MICHELLE MA BELLE