You seek wealth through the traditional means of acquisition. What is wealth at the expense of the eternity that will consume your soul? Maybe the knife is far more powerful in this age than the threat of hell.
We live for the moments where we feel that we have made it, and we die in the periods of silence when the party ends and we are left drunken in our delusions on the curb of a luxury apartment complex.
The way that a knife can penetrate the mind of a felon is less than that of a man who has become conditioned to watching his daughter spend his fortune on equestrian sports and Prada. A man who has become versed in this way of life may find himself at a greater loss by his status than life itself. This is what he has worked for he argues, therefore he deserves this, doesn’t he? Man is a manipulative creature who though can be thought to be inherently good, can be easily distorted into a strand of taffy with the introduction of monetary incentives.
A strand of taffy will melt in the sun, so bring it out to the light and see what happens to it. You may be surprised how many of your neighbors would vaporize, as the lack of a spine will lead to disastrous consequences. Do you even know the last name of the family in the room less than 100 feet away from where you are sitting right now? Of course not, you have never thought to talk to them. Talking is old-fashioned, isn’t it?
People attempt to make their money in every sort of way imaginable. Those who guarded the gulags believed that every ounce of labor extracted from the bones of old women toiling away under the eyes of the system was “lucrative” for the state, and therefore humanity.
Though there is a rapidly declining number of family-owned stores in America, there are a number that remain. With the rise of corporations that have taken over commerce and how we live, freedom and individualism have been left with a wound of despair. It is likely that you know someone who owns a company that sells a product, in which case are you buying their goods over that of a large retailer?
The examination in this status quo situation is that if one is not purchasing, for example, honey, from their uncle who makes his living off of this, and instead purchases honey from a large company that distributes it through mass production, are you not harming your uncle? Have you not committed an act of violence against him, your aunt, and your cousins? Convenience comes at a cost! You are not wielding a knife at him, but you are making a conscious effort to support someone else at his expense. Assuming quality and price are the same of course, along with local availability, there is no excuse for this action. You have therefore contributed to the decline of another family-owned company, and much more, the life of someone you personally know! Be aware of your purchasing habits, you commit violence against those whom you say you care for unknowingly.
Be aware of all aspects of your life, especially what you are purchasing. Your money is going to many places, even in the time of a single day. You will realize as you become aware, that you are failing to support those who you proclaim to care for and wish to support.
