Jesus said that we should show compassion on the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick and prisoners. We should help people who have these physical needs, but even more we should understand that we all have spiritual needs which are even more important. When we meet people’s spiritual needs we give them real, permanent help, while meeting their physical needs gives help that is superficial and temporary. The following pages describe New Church teachings about our six basic spiritual needs, which define each kind of neighbor that we are to help. The passages on these pages give the background for determining which of the six spiritual needs is most important for you, and which is most important for someone that you can help and love.