GOLDEN GOBLETS

It is better to drink a wholesome draught of truth from a humble vessel than poison mixed with honey from a golden goblet
— Nennius, 9th Century

Packaging: it's all around us. Books are in fact judged by their cover. Wine sells not on the reputation of the vintner, but by how attractive the label looks. Ad mail arrives in your mail box designed to get you to open the envelope. And on and on and on.

Packaging has been used for a very long time: from the forbidden fruit in the garden, repurposed by the serpent to offer undeserved promises to Eve, or in Nennius' case, poison in a golden goblet. From the cars we drive to the fashions we wear, we are all "packaged" to convey a message to those who see us.

Not all packaging is evil, of course. In and of itself, packaging is neutral — neither good nor evil. How it is used by people, whether for ignoble or noble plans, helps determine the moral outcome.

How are you packaged? What message do you convey with your life? What is the moral outcome? What kind of goblet are you?

Wisdom says, ". . . drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake your folly and live, and proceed in the way of understanding" (Prov 9:5-6).


"A noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands."
– Isaiah 32:8