Marbaniang, Domenic

Joseph applied the principle of proper saving when he advised the Pharaoh to save before they spent. Saving for the bad times is not a bad idea. One must save or reserve something for the future from the surplus one has today. The Foolish Virgins were foolish because they didn't take extra oil with them. But, the Wise were really wise because they not only took the extra oil, but they also did not surrender their wisdom to the folly of the foolish. When the foolish asked for help, they refused. Refusing somebody is not callous when the request itself is foolish. Compassion is not irrational. Compassion doesn't encourage irresponsibility. Compassion calculates value. Jesus said that before a man constructs anything, he must first calculate the cost. Calculating and Planning are not unspiritual. The Spiritual don't just jump into the water by blind faith; the spiritual calculate the cost and know what they are doing and risking.

Published in The Contemporary Christian , Bangalore, 2013. “ Your gold and silver are corroded …” (James 5:3) One of the important assets that Gutenberg’s printing press gifted to modern political economies is the ability to print paper money. The common man usually thinks that paper money is the real money, while in fact it is only a promissory note promising the bearer of the note the payment of the same amount (in coins, if not in gold) by the Reserve Bank. [1] In the past, however, governments did deny such payment in exchange of the notes and one government even made the holding of gold by the citizens as illegal. [2] In his 1885 treatise, Principles of Political Economy, the American philosopher John Stuart Mill confidently described gold and silver as historically more fit to be used as money. In his words, “They were among the most imperishable of all substances. They were also portable, and, containing great value in small bulk, were easily hid; a consideration of much imp...