Editorial May 20, 1939 Issue

The Great Need of Humanity

Duncan Sinclair

What is humanity's great need? Food, clothing, shelter—material things? These indeed are necessary to support a material sense of existence, but they are not the primary need, the essential need, which must be met and satisfied that men may have the health, happiness, comfort, and peace for which they yearn.

Matter never can meet the deepest needs of men. Only an understanding of spiritual truth can do that. This has been proved times without number in human experience. How often have mortals had their material wants supplied, even to the point of satiation, only to turn with loathing from the objects of their desires, convinced of the inadequacy of matter to bring them the happiness for which their better self craved! Matter can never supply that for which humanity's true selfhood yearns, and for which it will continue to yearn until it is satisfied—spiritual riches!

Since matter cannot satisfy the primary need of men, they must turn from matter. They must turn to revealed truth, there to find rest and peace. As spiritual understanding is gained, a new life is entered upon, a life full of promise, gladness, and joy, and the burdens of sense fall away. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33). By these words, Jesus clearly indicated that the essential need of mankind is spiritual understanding, understanding which is certain to be followed by the other things—the food, the clothing—of which he had just been speaking.

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