"A man is going on as usual; he comes home one day, and finds a letter, or a message, or a person, whereby a sudden trial comes on him, which, if met religiously, will be the means of advancing him to a higher state.
Perhaps it may be the loss of some dear friend or relative through which the call comes to us; which shows us the vanity of things below, and prompts us to make God our sole stay. We through grace do so in a way we never did before; and in the course of years, when we look back on our life, we find that that sad event has brought us into a new state of faith and judgment, and that we are as though other men from what we were.
We thought, before it took place, that we were serving God, and so we were in a measure; but we find that, whatever our present infirmities may be, and however far we be still from the highest state of illumination, then at least we were serving the world under the show and the belief of serving God.
Or again, perhaps something occurs to force us to take a part for God or against Him. The world requires of us some sacrifice which we see we ought not to grant to it. Some tempting offer is made us; or some reproach or discredit threatened us; or we have to determine and avow what is truth and what is error. We are enabled to act as God would have us act; and we do so in much fear and perplexity."
John Henry Newman
It was clearly a risk off day in the markets, with the Dollar rallying, the VIX climbing, and stocks slumping, going out near their lows for the day.
The bellwether techs failed to make a higher high, and are threatening a lower low and perhaps a break to the downside.
Gold was trading weakly.
But silver popped up like a champ, taking out $23.50 and holding it.
Who would have thought that?
Let's see what the rest of the week brings.
And from the calendar at the end, we can see that it will be bringing a stock option expiration on Friday.
Have a pleasant evening.
