Sunday Thoughts
A good friend of mine loves the world of macro. He is also a devoted Christian and follows the prayers of the Bible to the script. He even spent time in a Benedict monastery seeking his spiritual callings. A man of many talents, he is also an excellent author who writes poems in his free time.
Previously, he has blessed us all with a guest piece, comparing the world of poetry with global macro investing. It is a long piece but I do highly recommend it if you allow for 20 minutes of your time. See below.
Recently, he sent me a sixty-page thought piece about “Money, Trading, Philosophy and Jesus Christ.” Yes, I know what you think, but don’t worry. This is not a religious post. I do, however, like sharing my thoughts on life lessons that have sprung from my spiritual foundations.
Given that we are celebrating Easter in many parts of the Western world, symbolising resurrection and new beginnings, I thought I’d share some quotes that have caught my eye and made me think and appreciate all the good things.
My blessings to all of you, wherever you are. May the meaning of new beginnings prove fruitful and full of purpose and joy in the coming months and quarters.
“When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.”
- Voltaire
“Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables of Jesus deal with money. One out of ten verses in the New Testament deals with that subject. Scripture offers about five hundred verses on prayer, fewer than five hundred on faith, and over two thousand on money. The believer's attitude toward money and possessions is determinative.”
- John MacArthur
“Today Christians spend more money on dog food than missions”
- Leonard Ravenhill
“The point is not whether we are traders, workers, engineers, farmers or chimney sweepers in life. The question is:
What do we do with the fruits of our work?”
“Do we place them in a vision of life in which our social ideal is directed upwards (eternal things), or do we insert them into a vision of life in which our social ideal is directed downwards (earthly things)?”
“The humility of recognizing that one's strengths are not and will never be all of one's strengths, the humility of recognizing that a human being who thinks he is self-sufficient is as foolish as the shore that deludes itself into thinking it can keep any sea wave at a safe distance.”
“If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”
- Billy Graham
Let’s now focus on what lies immediately ahead of us in the coming week.