SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE:

Perhaps another depression. Growing numbers of people without food, clothing, shelter and medical care. The current economic crisis is also a spiritual crisis. The widespread feelings of fear are very similar to the emotions experienced during other times of change and loss — when a loved one dies or when there is a natural disaster such as a hurricane. The mystery of suffering again enters our landscape of joy and innocence. We search for ways to understand it, to cope and hopefully to learn more about life.

Too often we confuse our “likes” with our “needs” and lose the ability to be satisfied with the simple life. The distractions of overwork and overspending have kept people medicated and out of touch with their hearts and deepest selves. The hidden dissatisfaction is now pressing in, as the over-dependency on money is exposed. Spiritual communities are a refuge and resource for clarifying and strengthening essential values.

The economic crisis has forced us to get back to basics. We instinctively review our priorities, hunker down and are grateful for family, friends and our daily bread. But we fear that more losses are coming, and we are not sure we are prepared.

People are becoming more aware that those who are hungry, in shelters or receiving public aid are often in need through no fault of their own. More people are now in the same boat, or admit they soon could be, as the working and middle classes stumble. Spiritual communities remind us of our responsibility to help others in need and provide opportunities to do so.

Some spiritual principles that emerge in the economic crisis are: responsible stewardship of all resources and money; service to those who lack basic necessities; valuing people more than things; and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. By facing the fact that much of life is beyond our control, we can better appreciate the gift of life amid adversity and suffering.

Deborah Barrett is a minister and teacher at the Zen Center of Orange County in Costa Mesa