101. The City Slums
Today’s reading: “The Ministry of Healing” pp. 190–192a.
Key Words
- Wretched, wretchedness
- Peace
- Purity, pure
Yesterday we learned that the cause of wretchedness was wanting to make a living without work.
Today we look more closely at those living (and dying) in the wretched, crowded cities, surrounded by the filth (physical, mental and spiritual) of a man-made environment. There are two classes living in this poverty,
- Those who are trained to become criminals, enemies of society
- Those who hold fast their integrity, who fear God, who are upright and well-meaning.
This second group are the ones who we must help, sympathise with and encourage.
Once again the suggestion is that they go out to the country where the influence of humanity is crowded out by the quiet, pure works of God.
My question, a genuine one, is whether such could, in today’s world, “earn a livelihood” on land in the country?
Nonetheless the principle still stands: take to the country those people who are crowded together in wretched circumstances we must get them out into nature, working hard and isolated from the help of “man”, then we should take them out.
They will hear God’s voice speaking peace and love to their hearts and they will find healing, life-giving power for the mind soul and body.
This is restoration.
