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You May Be A Capitalist
There is an infamous t-shirt on the market which
says,
''Life is a game, and he who dies with the most
toys wins."
Do people really feel that way in the end?
No. Alas, I have known some unhappy, rich people who
loved only money. I have also known some fine and
decent rich people who enjoyed money, spent it,
invested it, and kept making more -- all for the love of
the game, not for the money itself. Other things than
money were important to them.
If
we keep money in perspective, earning it
honestly, sharing it with the less fortunate, contributing
it honorably to good causes, and investing our money
to create jobs and business, then can our money be a
blessing to us and others? Yes; otherwise it can corrupt
us and give us great misery.
And if by hard work, study, and good judgement we
prosper others and ourselves by investing our money,
shouldn't we be congratulated? Whether or not our
fortune is tainted depends on how we got it and how
we used it. As virtue can be its own reward, so, with a
proper attitude, reward can, in some ways, be its own
virtue.
We must be honest with ourselves regarding earthly
riches. I hope that my students don't ever believe that
they can convert it all to traveler's checks and take it
with them. Neither can the unbeliever, not even in an
asbestos-lined suitcase.
So, what is the moral to all this getting and spending
which consumes our lives? Here it is:
"Be Ye Careful."
The following quotation makes this point and is titled
"WHAT CAN IT BE?":
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