It may also be helpful to point out that the book referred to, St. Francis and the Foolishness of God, is not particularly “Franciscan” per se. I am not at all sure that St. Francis himself would go along with much of the thrust and the conclusions of the book. While one of its four authors is a Franciscan friar who presumably has had some input into this collaborative effort, the book clearly departs in significant ways from examining essentially Franciscan concepts of poverty as they would apply to our individual, personal journeys. It delves to a large extent into what I would call civil (or secular, I suppose) social justice concepts and viewpoints that, while not always incompatible with a Franciscan approach, are often moving in a different direction from what the Franciscan might.

When this book was chosen for use in this Franciscan study group, it was apparent that it featured some controversial thoughts and proposed actions that might deviate significantly from the thoughts and desired activities of those of us Franciscans participating and of Franciscans, in general. (This, I believe, is largely why the companion materials were chosen for use in our study – the encyclical, two solidly Franciscan books and the SFO Rule). So it was anticipated that an important part of the study group’s desired spiritual growth in examining and discussing the book would come from trying to understand these “foreign” or controversial ideas while defining and clarifying corresponding Franciscan views.

It is interesting to note that the book professes to be attempting an “ecumenical experiment” in its approach and that it acknowledges a “first world” view in its authorship and apparently its values.

So, I have a few personal thoughts to add on Tim’s questioning “Is poverty evil?”.

Certainly, I think from a worldly perspective poverty, taken narrowly as the lack of material goods to live a simple “good life” (with adequate food, clothing, shelter, education for life, freedom and so on) is always a bad thing (evil). This poverty is almost always essentially involuntary and anyone experiencing it involuntarily would tell us that from a worldly standpoint it is evil.

But also certainly, from a Christian (Franciscan) perspective poverty, taken narrowly as the deliberate effort to open our hearts and lives to our Crucified Savior by avoiding having possessions to the greatest extent possible, by avoiding any attachments to possessions (or anything which isn’t Jesus), by sharing our selves and any possessions we do have control or influence over for the benefit of others, is always a good thing (not at all evil).

So the poverty that Tim and all Franciscans seek (without our judging here the appropriate degree to which it is carried out) is always, I think, unequivocally good, clearly not evil.

Another thought: With a spiritual transformation, can some of the involuntary poverty mentioned above become good? Can that poverty or some portion of it become beneficial suffering and actually become a solidarity with the suffering Christ (taking up our crosses daily) leading to a closeness and love of Jesus in this world and possibly a union with Him forever in the hereafter? I believe the answer to these questions is a resounding “Yes!” And, therefore, using poverty in this way is also good – very good, I believe!

For me there are many other questions begging to be asked, especially about the worldly versus the Franciscan approach in dealing with involuntary poverty and even what really constitutes poverty in terms of genuine needs for the (undefined) good life. Perhaps we can pursue these over time.

Finally, I hope these thoughts bring some small illumination to the question on the nature of poverty. And, certainly, I would appreciate Tim and others assisting me in refining and expanding on some of these ideas. Come, Holy Spirit.

The bailouts our government has recently engaged in at the expense of everyday taxpayers are a product of the exact same type of greed that we decry in the third world.

Whatever compulsion we feel to help the poor can be easily fulfilled right here in our nation, and even our own communities.

Unfulfilled need is present just about everywhere you look, and it is likely to increase greatly in the short term.

I think that in Tim’s case – and my own, as I make the journey toward profession – is that we are actively seeking poverty. Not just “I don’t have money/possessions, etc.,” but the “I am not looking to gain money/possessions, etc.” We are looking to distance ourselves from the need to possess things; to see that the things that come into our lives are tools given to us for our use. We are merely stewards, not owners. As a steward, then, I have no attachment to a particular tool. This is the hard part for me. I am attached to some of my things. Granted, I don’t have a lot and most of what I have was given to me. But I’m still attached to it. I need to remove the emotional need to have these things. As I empty myself of these “things,” I can then be filled with God. Only by emptying myself, by losing/loosing my grip on what I think I own, I can embrace fully what is truly a treasure – God’s grace.

As to the third world poverty…I think that this poverty, forced upon people because of leaders/dictators attachment to things/money is different. This difference – and it is a big difference, I think – is that these people aren’t seeking poverty but having it forced upon them. That’s what makes it evil. I know that my path is poverty, but I cannot force that decision on someone else. This kind of poverty doesn’t lift us up, it tears down. This kind of poverty brings fear, not release.

The kind of poverty we Franciscans try to live is a simple lifestyle without unnecessary physical things as well as a spiritual detachment from all that is not God. That kind of povety frees me to be there for others, especially those most in need since it frees me from hording myself, for myself and from the belief that the universe and everything in it is MINE.

As Francis reminded us in his ADMONITIONS, the only thing we can claim as our own is our sinfulness. Anything more than that is an illusion.