Poverty, Dependence, Optimizing, and Adapting: Material and Spiritual Poverty

In the preparations of this project, there have been some serious objections against the approach of poverty as a spiritual path. Sarot argues that Christians should listen carefully to these criticisms, for ideals may easily cover up realities of evil, and, in response, contemplates the use of the concept of poverty to denote a spiritual ideal. Jesus uses the image of wealth and poverty to communicate man’s basic dependence. Some forms of dependence are characteristic of a good life, for all creatures exist in dependence on each other, and ultimately on God. Connecting poverty with dependence, makes us realize that the problem of poverty is not only a problem of the poor, but also and equally a problem of his or her environment. He proposes to find ways to heal the relationship between the human and his or her environment, by optimizing the gifts as well as adapting the needs. For only some, like Francis of Assisi, living in poverty may be a gift.