“The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this:
'I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors. Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.'”
Revelation 2:1-5
"Worldly pride is easier for us to perceive. We see it clearly in the self-proclaimed elite of our time. But less obvious perhaps is the spiritual form of pride, that reduces us into an insidiously distorted order of things. Spiritual pride blinds us to our own faults. But even worse, it leads us to magnify and fix ourselves upon the faults of others.
Spiritual pride leads to a lingering spiritual death. It turns the living being into a living tomb, all bright and polished on the outside, proudly ornamented with scrupulous attention to detail, and ostentatious adherence to the letter of the law— but inside full of corruption, and festering foulness. This is all too common among those whose love is directed to the rituals and the forms of religion, but wanting nothing to do with the human realities of it, the acts of mercy to others which are the second great commandment. It is a sickening romance with the self, unto death."
Jesse,
Being Human, 20 August 2017
"If I speak with the words of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have the faith to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything that I have, and if I hand myself over for sacrifice but do not have love, I gain nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
"The blessed John the Evangelist lived in Ephesus until extreme old age. His disciples could barely carry him to church and he could not muster the voice to speak many words. During individual gatherings he usually said nothing but, 'Little children, love one another.'
The disciples and brothers in attendance, annoyed because they always heard the same words, finally said, 'Teacher, why do you always say this?' He replied with a line worthy of John: 'Because it is the Lord's commandment, and if it alone is kept, it is sufficient.'"
Jerome,
Commentary on Galatians, 4th century
Stocks managed a small gain today.
Gold and silver bounced back strongly from their recent shellacking in observance of the stock option expiration.
What a surprise.
VIX and the Dollar fell.
There will be a December futures options expiration on the Comex next Monday the 25th.
Thanksgiving is around the corner, and then a month later, Christmas.
It's always something.
Have a pleasant evening.
