The January 13 issue of NewScientist magazine carries an article about how poverty can lead to more and earlier deaths from breast cancer.      This correlation between poverty and illness crops up from time to time.  But what’s really interesting about this particular article is that it presents data from a collaboration between biologists and sociologists.  The data illustrates at the cellular level what the link may be between poverty and terrible cancer outcomes.  First: high cortisol levels in experimental animals result in numerous cancerous tumors.  Second: women living in poor neighborhoods show unusual patterns of cortisol levels.  Third: cortisol empowers tumor cells to nourish themselves and grow.
    It’s not as if we need to be told that stress can cause and increase illness.  It’s not as if we need to be told that spiritual health can maintain and improve physical wellness.
    But in our hard-driving, antii-spiritual culture, it’s easy to brush off ideas about positive energy as luxuries we don’t have time for.  "Positive energy" may be a nice hobby for the touchy-feely set; but we’ll get to spiritual development when we get some free time, when we (finally) take a vacation, when we retire, when….
    We need to consider our own spiritual development.  And we need to consider the spiritual needs of our less fortunate neighbors.  More on this next time!