Something else from beyond the centuries to ponder:
What does it profit a man
if he should gain the whole world
and lose his own soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 8:36
Materialism, and yet how is it weighed in excess against what is sought for survival? Obviously, the words are not meant to shun the gifts of God (or his significant other aliases) but to put them to use, to explore and expand them for the benefit of all, or harbor and hide them uselessly–that, I would think is where the potential loss of soul would come in. Greed is never a good thing, and yet the level of greed is individual to each man. What is necessary, what can be shared, what is one used to, what has one earned to allow enjoyment of and retention therefore, without guilt. Is the principle of justice and fair division a good thing to seek if it still hurts another who doesn’t understand or agree? Tough questions; no easy answers.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
I think those among us who consider the wonder of life agree that a perfect due to oneself is quite granted by God.