Blog 858 – 12.29.2017

Silver And Gold Have I Some

As 2017 comes to an end I feel that I would be amiss if I did not attempt to share a great lesson that I am in the process of learning. Namely that each of us is a creature of inestimable worth and deserving of all the good things that this life has to offer. If you know the song, “Money Can’t Buy Me Love” let me remind you of what you already know too well, that many of those good things do require money. But no problem we just need to hang on to a little bit of it for ourselves instead of giving it all away to others.

“Greedy Bastard!” I heard that, and you hear it in your head often too. I remember most of my adult life thinking that the Apostle Peter’s words, “Silver and gold have I none” were some kind of a badge that good Christians ought to wear. Peter said those words to the lame beggar who had his hand out, lots of people have their hands out. Peter probably meant to say, “I left my wallet at home so I would not give everything I have away but here let me give you a hand up.” A hand out does not heal anyone, at least not for long, but a hand up can. It won’t empty your pockets either.

About a year ago the notion came me that in addition to socking away every Benjamin that comes through my grubby paws that I should lay aside a little silver and gold, you know hedge my bets against currency devaluation. I revisited Peter’s often quoted line and paraphrased it to, “Silver and gold have I some.” Relax Bible worshippers, it is just a book, or rather a collection of them, no more sacred or holy than Readers Digest’s Condensed Book Of The Month Club selections, only to you if you believe it so, most of the people who ever lived did not nor gave a slip, I pulled that punch.

What I am trying to say perhaps too heavy handedly is that I do not believe the churches or tele-evangelists are entitled to drain the pockets of religious rubes any more than the easy credit rip off experts are most everyone else but that it is really up to each one of us to hang on to a little of what comes through our hands. A year ago I started to also sock away five dollar bills and fifties to purchase silver coins and some gold ones so I can say to myself and you, “Silver and gold have I some.” The billionaires can have the bars. I am content with just a few coins, but that is more than I had last year.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White