"But what is the use of preaching the Gospel to men whose whole attention is concentrated upon a mad, desperate struggle to keep themselves alive?"

William Booth’s statement challenges the effectiveness of spiritual or moral guidance when basic human needs remain unmet. When people are preoccupied with mere survival, their capacity to heed, absorb, or respond to higher teachings, such as the Christian Gospel, is severely diminished. The “mad, desperate struggle to keep themselves alive” refers to a state where hunger, poverty, and insecurity leave no space for contemplation or aspiration beyond the next meal or shelter. Human energy is consumed by urgent necessity, squeezing out the possibility for reflection or spiritual consideration.

Booth’s observation underscores the inseparable link between physical welfare and spiritual enlightenment. Humans require more than physical sustenance, but until basic needs are met, pursuits of higher meaning are often inaccessible. To preach to the starving without offering bread, or to talk of hope to the hopeless without providing relief, risks insensitivity and irrelevance. Compassionate engagement, Booth suggests, must address the whole person, the body as well as the soul, and recognizes that practical action is a prelude to effective evangelism.

The statement reflects a social realism born of direct observation. It is an implicit critique of approaches that separate spiritual ministry from social justice. Rather than seeing material assistance and spiritual preaching as two competing projects, Booth unites them, insisting they are mutually reinforcing. His insight inspired the mission of the Salvation Army, which combined practical aid and faith, recognizing that dignity and humanity require both.

Moreover, his words remain relevant beyond their religious context, resonating in contemporary debates about poverty alleviation, education, and health. The principle holds: when addressing any form of human development, moral, intellectual, or spiritual, it is futile to ignore the material conditions shaping people’s lives. Booth’s words call for empathy, integrated action, and a holistic view of human advancement, where activism and advocacy cannot neglect the immediate hardships of the vulnerable.