Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. And yet I do write a new commandment to you, which holds true in him and among you, for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
1 John 2:3-11
"There are six things the Lord hates, no, seven that are detestable to him: proud eyes, a lying tongue, hands that harm the innocent, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness whose mouth pours out lies, and most of all, a person who stirs up conflicts in a community."
Proverbs 6:16-19
‘Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and accomplish great things in your name?' Then I will declare to them, ''I do not know you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'”
Matthew 7:21-23
"'Woe unto the world because of offenses for it must needs be that offenses come but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.' ... Fondly do we hope ~ fervently do we pray ~ that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'
With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865
The ordinary mind is capable of and accustomed for executing the daily tasks of life. And at times as we have seen, it surmounts even the most daunting and extraordinary challenges. The practical mind of man has been able to produce almost astonishing mechanical wonders.
But when momentous events are upon us, we cannot recognize them for what they are. Only the distant view of time can discern the patterns of history.
We are now in such a time, where forces of political and spiritual struggle long in the making are coming to a confrontation, a climax perhaps, in which a resolution, a turning point, may be struck. And it is likely that there will be forged a turn in the path of progress, and the fortunes of a people, with lasting consequences.
Hearts are inflamed with anger, and greed, and madness and malice towards the other, through which they blindly and unknowingly seek to escape the heavy weight of events which they do not comprehend.
But if enough of us can rise above ourselves, and see things with the wisdom in which we have been instructed and commanded through the ages, can we not hope that selfish and unspeakable lawlessness can be turned aside, and a covenant with the truth and a bond of faithfulness be forged among us once again?
Can we let go of these insults and abuses towards everything we have been given that is good? Can we avoid the reckoning, the suffering, distress, and regret, the awful hand of God, that we are bringing down upon our children and the world?
Shall we stop this bleeding?
The Dollar dropped back down towards the 104 handle.
Stocks rallied but then slumped after Trump announced new 25% tariffs on non-US manufactured automobiles.
Gold and silver soared from the open, and went out near the highs.
If they can hold up into the weekend I might see some significance in this break from the usual trading pattern.
I actually came in this morning with a modest bet in that direction, based on nothing but the 'feel of the tape' n the futures trading.
February 19, 2025 AP Newswire:
THE PRESIDENT: We’ll see what happens. But one of the things — we do want to look. I mean, we hope everything’s fine with Fort Knox, but we’re going to go to Fort Knox — the fabled Fort Knox — to make sure the gold is there.
REPORTER: Where would the gold have gone?
THE PRESIDENT: If the gold isn’t there, we’re going to be very upset.
I tend to take the things that the Donald takes with a grain of salt, even while he is the President.
He likes to speak expansively and 'off the cuff.'
Most politicians in the US and Europe lie these days, and love their own ability to lie. But Donald is a bit more 'flamboyant'.
But let's see what happens with all this. I was watching this current Comex option expiration carefully, the huge influx of 2000 tonnes of gold into the US, enough to knock some percentage points off US GDP, and of course the CME retreat from the physical delivery market of Hong Kong.
I suspect that change, even greater than we might have expected, is on the horizon.
Have a pleasant evening.
