Humility Saves Us From Foolishness

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God.  A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you...

True humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself, less."

C. S. Lewis


"Further, all of us should be kind and helpful to one another, and carry ourselves with humility: for God is set against the proud, but graciously favours the humble."

1 Peter 5:5


And how did little Tim behave?" asked Mrs. Cratchit, when she had rallied Bob on his credulity, and Bob had hugged his daughter to his heart's content.

"As good as gold," said Bob, "and better.  Somehow he gets thoughtful, sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard.  He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see."

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol


"It seems that under the overwhelming impact of rising power, humans are deprived of their inner independence and, more or less consciously, give up establishing an autonomous position toward the emerging circumstances.  The fact that the foolish person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent.

In conversation with him, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with him as a person, but with slogans, catchwords, and the like that have taken possession of him.  He is under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being.

Having thus become a mindless tool, the foolish person will also be capable of any evil and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil. This is where the danger of diabolical misuse lurks, for it is this that can once and for all destroy human beings...

Only the humble believe in Him and rejoice that God is so free and so marvelous that He does wonders where people despair, that He takes what is little and lowly and makes it marvelous. And that is the wonder of all wonders, that God loves the lowly.

God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; He loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken...

In the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God. Thereafter, any attack even on the least of men is an attack on Christ, who took on the form of man, and in his own Person restored the image of God in all.

Through our relationship with the Incarnation, we recover our true humanity, and at the same time are delivered from that perverse individualism which is the consequence of sin, and recover our solidarity with all mankind."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer


"And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness.  If you want to be important—wonderful.  If you want to be recognized—wonderful.  If you want to be great—wonderful.  But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

That's a new definition of greatness.  And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve."

Martin Luther King, The Drum Major Instinct

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - A Banquet of Consequences, a Celebration of Love

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them a light has shined."

Is 9:1


"An angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, and the glory of the Lord shone around them."

Lk 2:9

After the market action today one has to wonder if we will be hearing 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' or 'Nearer My God To Thee' in the trading houses and watering holes of the financial elite around the world.

Perhaps now it is easier to understand why Goldman was standing for so many gold contracts over the past month for their 'house account.'

What if I told you, with a reasonable amount of confidence with supporting facts about what would come next, would you listen to it?  Would you act upon it?

Or would it just enter into that great flood of data, hardly worth being called information, from which people pick and choose what to see and hear, based on whatever favors the narrative which best suits their personal prejudices, preferences, and desires of the moment?  This is the power of madness, or perhaps better said, the madness of power.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day, and we will have a house full of guests for Christmas dinner and the exchange of presents, and all that goes with it.  We are having a prime rib, and creamed spinach, and mashed potatoes with gravy, and a few other odds and ends that are traditional accompaniments for a Christmas dinner with friends and family.  The latest headcount is twelve to fourteen.

The young man is at the airport picking up his girlfriend who is coming in from London.  This will be the first chance I will have had to meet her in person.  I wonder who is more nervous, me or her.

I wish Mary was here, for any number of reasons, but mostly because her judgement and instincts on so many of the things that are truly important in this life were sound, empathetic, if not almost uncannily unerring.  I sought her opinion and counsel on everything (except anything mechanical).   She made me human.  She was my best friend.

I will see you on Wednesday.   I may post a little something tomorrow as the holiday permits.

Need little, want less, love more.   For those who abide in love abide in God, and God in them.

Merry Christmas.

Have a pleasant holiday.

Rick Steves' European Christmas

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home.”

Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers



"At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them.  Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound.  Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe."

Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express



"This is quite the season indeed for friendly meetings.  At Christmas every body invites their friends about them, and people think little of even the worst weather.  I was snowed up at a friend's house once for a week.  Nothing could be pleasanter."

Jane Austen, Emma

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Bubbles Are Made By Men To End in Slaughter - A Savage Garden

"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever."

Thomas Jefferson, Notes On the State of Virginia


"An evil and faithless generation demands a sign.  But no sign will be given it, except for the sign of Jonah."

Matthew 16:4


"Do not be deceived, for God is not mocked.  What a man sows, so shall he reap."

Galatians 6:7

Stocks once again went out on the lows after an early attempt to find a footing and rally.

After the failure to hold the rally after the European market close, it became fairly apparent that it was going to be another ugly day of a slow death by a thousand cuts.

It is frustrating, because those who did not act on the signs of the mispricing of risks in this blow off bubble top are most likely locked into their losses now by fear, and 'advice' from the salesmen for mispriced financial assets.

Thank God we bailed out the financial industry, and then undermined any attempts to reform and regulate their excesses.  The vampire squids of Wall Street must be fed.  Sham wow.

Gold and silver were off a bit as the Dollar was higher.

There will be a half day session on Monday, which is Christmas eve.

The markets will be closed on Tuesday in observance of Christmas day.

Remember to feed the least of His creatures, the birds of the air and animals of the field, during these hard months. And feed the hearts of those you meet, with a friendly word and a smile. Each person you meet carries a burden, and it may be lightened with a simple act of kindness.

Need little, want less, love more. For those who abide in God abide in them, and God in them.

Have a pleasant weekend.