The Walls of Babylon
This short chapter tells of a campaign against Babylon. The King of Babylon went away to far lands to wage war. While he was away, the Assyrians attacked. It was a bad time, since most of the troops went with the King.
Day after day the citizens of Babylon heard the sound of attack, storming horses, battering rams against the gates, burning arrows over the walls. Day after day the saw wounded and dead soldiers from their own side carried away.
As the days passed, the stress increased. With each passing day people became more concerned. Everybody was concerned that the gates would last, that the walls would not crumble, that the small defending army would hold out. As days become weeks people start worrying about their losses. Losses of life, possessions and dignity.
Each day more and more people seek re-assurance that things will turn out allright.
Then after weeks, one morning the enemy is gone. The walls and gates did not fall. Everybody was safe. There was work to repair the damage, but that was another day’s problem, today Babylon celebrated the end of the siege, the beginning of new period of prosperity and opportunities.
George S. Classon closes the chapter with these paragraphs:
“Babylon endured century after century because it was fully protected. It could not afford to be otherwise.
“The walls of Babylon were an outstanding example of man’s need and desire for protection. This desire is inherent in the human race. It is just as strong today as it ever was, but we have developed broader and better plans to accomplish the same purpose.
“In this day, behind the impregnable walls of insurance, savings accounts, and dependable investments, we can guard ourselves against the unexpected tragedies that may enter any door and seat themselves before any fireside.”
The saying goes: you PROTECT wealth BEFORE you create wealth. Too many people pay a high price because they ignore this rule. The premium on car insurance may seem high, until there is a R1 000 000 claim against you. The premium on hospital insurance may seem excessive, until a child needs hospital treatment (and if you then cannot give them the best, the premium is nothing!). Somebody ALWAYS pays for life insurance, it is either YOU while you live, or your FAMILY after your death.
But protection goes further than that. It involves structuring your affairs for optimal tax benefits and estate planning. It involves compartmentalising your affairs, so that you protect assets against undue risk.
We can never be without risk, it is part of life, but we should try to protect ourselves against risk as we build our wealth.
As the chapter summary says: “We cannot afford to be without adequate protection.”