Business and Spirituality

"Business underlies everything in our national life, including our spiritual life. Witness the fact that in the Lord's Prayer, the first petition is for daily bread. No one can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach." - Woodrow Wilson.

I think the first petition in the Lord's Prayer is "Give us this day...", which connotes a gratitude and desire for life, followed by a desire for daily sustenance. No one can worship God or love his neighbor without the gift of life. Considering the many famines mankind has suffered, and the time-honored tradition of fasting, I would venture to guess that it is quite possible to worship God and love one's neighbor on an empty stomach.

What an odd statement for Wilson to make. He skips right over "Give us this day" and pounces on "our daily bread."