Money Doesn’t Love You Back — Tom Harris.
My friend Tom came forth with this wisdom the other day as we continued on our journey to find the best country fried steak in Charlotte. I enjoyed telling him that I watched a TV show the other night where the question raised to the panel was, “What American food would you like to introduce to the World Cup visitors?” The winner was Country Fried Steak. (Personally, I would have voted for Kentucky Bourbon).
But I digress. Tom’s wisdom stuck with me.
I wondered at first if it’s not money that people love so much, but what it can obtain. However, the mega-wealthy seem to disprove that theory; many continue to acquire more and more just for accumulation’s sake. Can you think of a time where money loved you back? Of course not. Yet, the love of it has destroyed millions.
From a spiritual perspective, money is nothing more than energy—a neutral medium of exchange. It has no consciousness, no heart, and no capacity for reciprocity. When we expect money to fulfill us, we are guilty of a spiritual mismatch: trying to satisfy a soulful, infinite hunger with a material, finite resource.
The ancient philosophies offer a stark diagnosis for the “accumulation for accumulation’s sake” that you noticed:
Eastern philosophies, particularly Buddhism, speak of Taṇhā (craving or attachment). The ego mistakenly believes that “more” equals “safe” or “whole.” But because the ego is an illusion, it can never be filled. Accumulating money just to watch the numbers grow is like a thirsty man drinking saltwater—the more he drinks, the thirstier he gets.
In Western spiritual traditions, the caution against the “love of money” isn’t about the currency itself, but the idolatry of it. When money becomes the source of our identity, we swap our inherent divine worth for a net worth.
The universe operates on the law of reciprocity—giving and receiving, inhaling and exhaling. Love, kindness, and connection are generative; the more you give, the more returns to you, amplifying your spirit.
Money cannot participate in this dance. You can pour your life, your ethics, and your relationships into a bank account, but that account will never offer you comfort on a dark night. It will never forgive you, celebrate you, or mourn you. It is a one-way street that ultimately leads to spiritual starvation.
As Tom so elegantly put it, money doesn’t love you back. True wealth isn’t found in what we can hoard in a vault, but in the love we cultivate, the peace we find within, and perhaps, the joy of a perfect country fried steak shared with a wise friend.
What do you think is the root cause of why society has such a hard time internalizing Tom’s wisdom?
Thank you for sharing! Truth!
Thank you so much. Webb.
this is so so good
Thank you Missy! Webb.
“but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (one of my Daddy’s favs). I like your friend, Tom’s, statement. Thanks for sharing. Money does seem quite inert when put under the microscope.