“Unless souls are saved, nothing is saved; there can be no world peace unless there is soul peace.” This is a great opening line by Bishop Fulton Sheen in one of his books and a grim reminder of what is happening now in the world. Wars are created by people with conflicts in their souls and no peace within; greed and power are their ultimate goals. As St. Augustine said, “The root of sins is pride.” Some prominent leaders want to show that they are powerful. And pride and greed take control of their minds and spirits; hence they do the unthinkable and make a decision that will create fear and anxiety globally.
Dread arises because, being human, we are aware of the danger around us. It touches our souls and spirits, producing an anxiety complex in our present civilization.
If we throw a stone into a pond, it will create a ripple effect akin to the pandemic that started devastation and depredation on the entire world. A tsunami of mental illnesses and depression occurred. Peace of mind and fear affected most of us. We have not fully recovered from the impact of the pandemic, and then another challenge for humanity eventuated.
Russia invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked attack without any valid reasons. Security, peace of the nations will be at stake, and the possibility of a cataclysmic world war that we all hope won’t happen. This is a conundrum situation for the European nations, the US, and all the democratic countries in the world. Then again, greed, power, and pride prevail upon a leader who wants to show that he is powerful. I do not think he has peace within his soul. If he fails with his ambition, his actions will haunt him forever. He will receive the opprobrium of the world, and his country will be a pariah state. Is it all worth it? Only time will tell.
Two kinds of wealth
According to Bishop Fulton Sheen, there are two kinds of wealth: natural and artificial.
Natural wealth
Natural wealth takes the form of necessities— food, clothing, and shelter— to sustain the life of an individual and family. A person can satisfy their natural wealth because the stomach can consume only a limited amount of food once it reaches saturation.
Artificial wealth
Artificial wealth consists of money, credit, stocks, bonds, and other material things. With it, the satisfaction is insatiable. The determination to amass more wealth will be the main focus; hence deprivation of inner peace will prevail. When this artificial wealth starts to crumble and fade away, it will lead to desperation and anxiety. The soul can be lost and confused, and peace within will be unattainable.
I believe most of us are guilty of the excesses of the present time. We are all victims of materialism. For me, one of the positive aspects of the pandemic is the realisation of what is important and the reassessment of my priorities in my life. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the modern luxuries in life. Still, at times it becomes an obsession that leads to frustrations. You can never be satisfied and want more. I accumulated so many material things, shoes, jewellery, bags, and dresses, that I realised are not of vital importance to me now. How did I come to this? Luckily, I have a granddaughter and a daughter to dispose of all of these. I found myself happier now doing spiritual contemplation by reading, meditation, and finding inner peace. I also believe you must have peace within to have peace with others. Lastly, please reflect and digest the meaning of this saying from the Bible, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul?” from Mark 8:36.
Excerpt from my book ‘The Realities of Life’
Demons’ monsters, evil are very true
Yet we cannot see them
Because they are lurking within ourselves
Fight and conquer them we must
For if we fail
Eventually, they will poison and overtake
Our body, mind, and soul
(Visit www.lornasbook.com for published work of Lorna Ramirez)
READ MORE
- Discovering the secret place featuring Maina Walkley
- Joel’s joy is selling peace of mind
- Moro artist uses paintbrush to advocate peace
