In chapter 1, the writer begin by writing the story about the time Peter was confronted by a tax collector. Then the story continues to Jesus's encounter with Caesar, where Jesus said "render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's". I think this shows that God wants us to give back what we owe to others. The phrase things that are God's, however I feel that all the things in this world is given to us by God, hence making all we have His. I think what he meant when he said this things is to give him our time and to praise Him to give him what is His.
Then the writer introduces William Stafford’s “Deciding”, which wrote the same thing from a modern and less doctrinal point of view. In Stafford’s poem, he adds American consciousness beyond the spiritual level. Additionally, the context of currency—gold and money also show up in his poem, which presents the deep curse in religion’s point of view. It is genius for Stafford to combine the spiritual God with the physical world in the figure of gold. At the end of the chapter, the author concludes that the money is both material and spiritual, as Stafford points out, so the task of this book is to find third position of money that integrate the realities.
In chapter 13, the author talks about how money affects people mentally, the importance of money. People nowadays think of people who are rich as powerful and people who have a lot of control in society.
I think what this book talked about is very true in our real life. Nowadays in countries that are less developed people who don't have a lot of money don't have a lot of say in what is happening in the world. For example, in Indonesia where I was born and raise, everything is corrupt. The police in Indonesia can be bribed and the government too. This just show how much power money has in our community now.
It is interesting to see how the role of money has played out in religion's history, and to see how it can be viewed as spiritual!
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating how Chapter one deals greatly with the concept of spiritual and physical space when it comes down to the discussion of monetary items. Your summary is very well put together. Good job.
ReplyDeletegreat introduction! im looking forward to see what stands between money as both material and spiritual
ReplyDeleteMy chapters also talked about money being material and spiritual. It's interesting how we can look back at any point in history and see how money had a great influence on the society. I agree on you input of chapter 13, money gives people power. Corruption is common in a lot of poor countries like you said because the government controls the money.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you talked about in depth of the concept of spirituality and physical space to monetary items. I think you did a great job talking about it. Good work.
ReplyDeleteI really like the phrase of .."to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to G-d the things that are G-d's". I believe this indicates that we should appreciate what we have in life, and don't take it for granted. We should focus on what we have, and not what others have.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of ownership being not individualistic but to a higher power is super interesting and I think a concept lost in this modern age where we are so individualistic.
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting! I would never have thought that money could ever be considered something spiritual.
ReplyDeleteMy chapters too dealt with how money can control one's life. It's crazy to think that an inanimate object can give so much control a to a group of people
ReplyDeleteYeah man it is definitely true that money can change people. But at the same time it does reflect you as a person. Just look at all the lotto winners who go broke.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting when you said "money is both material and spiritual". As you think back through history even to before the times of the Bible, money has caused physical disputes and spiritual pain. It is important we do not let ourselves be consumed by money.
ReplyDeleteMoney is definitely one of the most deadliest object as humans. This single piece of paper can change people in the matter of days. I only hope that we, as good humans, don't fall to such paper evil.
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