When I came to Kent, to live and work in Kings Hill some eighteen months ago, I knew that I was coming to somewhere a little bit different. A completely fresh development – a village from scratch if you like.

And a very well-off one at that.

Even so last year’s revelation that it is the wealthiest post code in the UK came as something of a shock. But what difference does that make on a human level? Forget the size of house, the prestige of the car and the holiday destination – what about the person?

Average Anne doesn’t seem to be any happier than anywhere else.

Normal Nigel doesn’t seem to have noticeably more leisure time than Non-resident Norman.

Far from it – the work hours that many put in seem to be longer and more demanding.
So, if it doesn’t make you happier or give you more time, what’s all the income for?

I suspect that the reason there is so much money about is because it is needed to maintain the lifestyle, and the mortgage, and the dream.

My boss, Jesus, has a lot to say about individual value, and values of the individual. His stories speak more about normal things like our attitudes to money, than about the “religious” ones, like Heaven & Hell.

Material wealth, “Mammon” to use that strange old word, is actually compared to a slave master. The more we own, the more it owns us.

In practical terms - the more we have, the less of it we seem to have left after paying up to cover our commitments.

So the question to ask yourself today is “What seems to own me and eat into my joy and freedom? What am I a slave to?”

And more to the point, what are you going to do about it?