This is a story about money and fear.

It's a story about being possessed by things rather than enjoying and sharing them.

And it's a story nested within a bigger story about how sometimes when we think we have more, we actually have less.

It is said that married or partnered people may have more, we actually have less.

It is said that married or partnered people may have more conflicts about money than anything else.

Neighbors have conflict about fences.

Nations have conflict about territory.

But whether it's bigger sofas or bigger houses or bigger jobs or bigger bank accounts or

reputation or ego or a bigger empire, we don't have to look too far to find the accumulation

story at work, the story that says we will achieve peace and security through having more things.

It's an expansionist narrative, but it doesn't expand peace and security.

Never mind, enhance the experience of soulfulness.

There's a reason people say, if you love someone, you should set them free.

This is true of objects and numbers too.

When we try to hold too tightly to things, we make them into idols.

There's a reason Jesus responded to the rich young ruler asking,

what must I do to be saved by saying, sell all you

have and give it to the poor?

Because love of money and being possessed by things is a root of all kinds of evil.

There's a reason I'm told that if you were visiting Dorothy Day at home and she saw that you appreciated some beautiful

object she had in her house, she might just give it to you because stewardship of beauty and

sharing things in community is more life-giving than trying to keep things locked away.

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