Our problems include poverty and corruption. We need energy to solve them. Is material energy enough? We are used to petroleum energy but really it does not matter where we get our energy, so long as we get energy to fuel our travel, our communication, and whatever we need to live decently and comfortably. The next few years will see energy from alternative energy sources, most of which will be renewable energy. If we had the energy we can lick the problems of poverty. The most prospective is the energy coming from the sun but also there are alternative energy from water, wind, geothermal and nuclear. And there may even be liquefied energy from wood and other sources. It can help with poverty reduction but will it also help to cure corruption?

We have dreamed of no corruption or at least reduce it to a minimum level. But we have tried laws, moral suasion, commandments, police effort, coercion and encouragement, reminders that God sees all our actions and will reward the good and punish the evil. But corruption persists. We need energy to root out corruption. If we can solve corruption most of our problems of poverty, and human degradation will also be solved. An unusual suggestion is a call to interior spirituality. On the level of existence God already penetrates our being. But we are invited to go beyond that to a consciousness of God's love. God is inside us as well as outside us just as air surrounds us. What we need is the awareness of this presence and harness the energy that He offers. We need a realization of the power within us and the invitation to be one with Him.

Someone used the figure of two candles. The candles have separate existence but when their flames are joined, they are one fire. One cannot be distinguished from the other. This flame gives light, warmth, and energy. It can burn and purify. It can be a flame that destroys but on the other hand a flame that inflames us with love. The Chinese proverb that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness comes to mind. This flame can give us light to see what can be done and to see the truth. It can also give the warmth of love and the energy to burn the dross in us and to unite us with our neighbor and the Almighty in love. The fire of awareness of this love can consume us all in a single flame.

Corruption is to take unto ourselves what belongs to others or the community. What is mine is not yours. In corruption we want it only for ourselves. But if united as many different candles burning with the same flame, it becomes only we and us. And there is no different you. We become one in the same flame of love. What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine if we are is burning with same flame of God's love. We have not been successful with material solutions to our poverty and corruption.

May be we can try spiritual solutions of union and awareness of God's indwelling in us and the energy of His love. We may be able to overcome poverty and corruption. If we are united in the same flame there will be no distinction between I and thou. There will be no need for greed or corruption. With no corruption we can solve our problem of poverty and human degradation. This solution may be unusual but it seems it is the only solution we have not tried. The Filipino people are religious but we have not harnessed it to solve our social problems, It has been individualistic devotions which are good but not good enough. We need awareness of our brotherhood and the source of this brotherhood is the presence of God in us and outside of us. We are not fully conscious of this truth and we need to become more aware. In other words we are invited to an interior spirituality instead of external action. We are invited to let the God who dwells within us to do the work. <emeterio_barcelon@yahoo.com>