Deep Something

What Is the Money For?

August 25, 2026 B. John 115 Views 0 Comments Jeff Bezos, Andrew Carnegie, public good, wealth and power, moral responsibility, billionaire wealth, billionaire philanthropy, generosity, economic inequality

This entry is in the series The Stoics

A single mother stops at a traffic light and hands five dollars to a homeless person. Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to fight climate change. Bezos will accomplish far more with his gift. Yet the mother may have given up something she needed.

That distinction sits at the heart of my latest essay. The world’s richest people possess more money than they could spend across several lifetimes. Their fortunes keep growing while the planet warms, public institutions weaken, and millions struggle to survive. Their philanthropy does useful work, though it rarely costs them any comfort or power.

So what is all the remaining money for? The answer takes us through the Gilded Age, the widow’s offering, other religious traditions, private bunkers, life extension, and the strange belief that enough wealth can free someone from the fate shared by every human being.

Person sitting contemplatively in a crowd.

Featured Society Stoicism

Hierocles: Expanding the Circle

April 27, 2026April 27, 2026 B. John 603 Views 1 Comment personal growth, moral responsibility, Hierocles, Circles of Concern, Community Engagement, Philosophy in Practice, Social Ethics, Stoicism

This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

This entry is in the series The Stoics

Stoicism often begins as a philosophy of the self. What I control. How I respond. How I stay steady when life shifts in ways I didn’t expect. But the Stoics never intended it to stop there. At some point, the question changes from how I manage myself to how I show up for other people.

In this essay, I introduce the Stoic philosopher Hierocles and his idea of expanding circles of concern. It’s a simple image with challenging implications. Through his teaching and my own experience, I explore what it means to move beyond inward discipline and begin living with a broader sense of responsibility. Read more.

Politics Religion Society

The Universal Liturgy: Civic Duty as the Fruit of Faith

February 5, 2026 B. John 816 Views 1 Comment Civic Engagement, social holiness, moral responsibility, Wesleyan theology, faith and democracy, justice and compassion, public square

What if voting, showing up at a council meeting, or speaking up for a neighbor weren’t just civic responsibilities, but acts of faith? Many of us treat spirituality as a private matter, safely contained within the walls of a sanctuary. But across religious traditions, the message is consistent: faith that never enters the public square is incomplete.

From John Wesley’s insistence on social holiness, to the prophets’ demand for justice, to Eastern teachings on interconnectedness, belief is proven through action. Civic life is where compassion becomes concrete, and values are tested. Read the full essay to explore why civic engagement may be the most honest expression of faith we have right now.

Person standing in audience with a microphone

Featured Politics Religion Society Methodism Stoicism

Justice as Responsibility: A Companion Examination

January 7, 2026 B. John 941 Views 2 Comments justice, Christian ethics, Social Justice, moral responsibility, civic virtue, moral coherence, faith and ethics, justice as practice, Stoic philosophy

This entry is in the series The Stoic Virtues

This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Justice is one of the most frequently used moral words in public life, and one of the least examined. It appears in politics, religion, social movements, and law. Because it is so familiar, we often assume we mean the same thing when we use it. We usually do not.

Serious moral traditions have resisted reducing justice to feeling or slogan. Stoic philosophy, Christian ethics, and modern research all return to a similar conclusion: Justice is not primarily about emotion or ideology. It is about responsibility. Responsibility to others, to the common good, and to living in a way that keeps belief and behavior aligned.

Seen this way, justice is not a moment or a performance. It is discipline. A steady practice carried out over time. It asks for clarity without cruelty, conviction without self-righteousness, and persistence without spectacle. Justice endures not because it is loud, but because it is rooted.