You’d think from this that faith equals passivity. That the only perfect Christian is the cloistered contemplative. That mildness is the greatest of Christian virtues.
There are a number of Scripture texts that shatter this picture. One is the image of the ideal wife in Proverbs 31. The Blessed Virgin Mary read this passage and, as the most perfect of Israelite wives, most probably modeled herself after the woman portrayed here. Does the Proverbs 31 woman sit around passively, praying a lot, and wearing beige? No. The first few verses of the chapter poetically tell how she is more valuable than pearls, a true prize. The rest of the passage tell us why she is such a catch–she knows how to roll up her sleeves and hustle. The passage tells of her side business ventures that increase the family’s wealth, which she shares with the poor. Of course if she hadn’t worked so shrewdly and diligently, there would not be anything to share with the poor.
Another Scripture that shatters the picture of Christianity as passivity is the famous parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). Note that it is money (yes money!) that the master entrusts to his various servants, different amounts according to varying abilities. Two servants realize that the master wants a return on his capital, so they invest it and each double it. The master does not expect to get the same sum back from these two because they started with different amounts. But they both received the exact same praise because they both gave him a hundred per cent return.
The servant of least ability, on the other hand, buried the money for fear of losing it. Instead of praising him for being conservative, the master is outraged. If you entrusted your retirement nest egg to a stockbroker, and years later it had not grown at all, would you be happy?
The master was angry because the servant had allowed fear to paralyze him. So afraid was he of losing money that he did not even take the very modest risk of depositing the money in the bank (there was no FDIC insurance in those days).
The Lord has entrusted lots of things to us: money, natural talents, spiritual gifts, the saving truth of the Gospel. He expects us not just to conserve these things but to grow them. In the last supper discourse (John 15) he speaks of the disciples as bearing much fruit. In the Parable of the Sower and the Seed he speaks of grain that bear 30, 60, and 100 fold. Whatever labor we are involved in–economic, family, apostolic–the goal should be to develop, increase, and grow what God has given us, for his honor and glory.
This inevitably involves taking risks. It means not letting the fear of failure and ridicule stop us from pursuing success.
One of the greatest Catholic thinkers of the 20th century was a Swiss priest named Hans Urs von Balthasar. He once pointed out that one of the most frequently used words in the book of Acts was the Greek word parrhesia, meaning cheerful boldness in the face of danger or opposition. Without such boldness, Christianity would have stalled in Palestine. It never would have made it to Antioch, Greece, and Rome.
Faithfulness to God means having the courage to take bold initiatives, in pastoral life, family life, and business, to be creative, even entrepreneurial, to express our gratitude to God for all that He has given us by making it grow.
I literally read this through twice because I love it so much. It is perfectly articulated, for reals. This topic is hugely an issue and I remember growing up in the homeschool group and hearing some of the moms talk about 'wealth and success' as if it were the ultimate anathema. It never sat well with me. I wholely believe that we are give our particular gifts and talents in order to praise God through them, not (as that other parable goes)'hide your light under a bushel'. I truly believe that not only is it ok, but actually necessary for us to develop and grow as Christians and utilize what God has given us.
ReplyDeletelove it!
This is so wonderful. I love the part about taking risks. I like to think it starts by being transparent, to argue your view point, to try something you've never done. To just put yourself out there. We're bodily too, we have so many needs beyond spiritual engagement with God. We should seek grandeur, excitement, and strategize for our future. I hate the preaching to the choir dynamic too, and think we should be there for all kinds of people and to let go of our prejudices.
ReplyDeletePS. Pandora just went from this great funky song called Cold Dust Girl... to NSYNC.. wtf. It knows my progression of taste since i was 12??
I knew y'all would love it! The thing that frustrates me too is how people use religion/faith as a crutch. If you truly are happy living in poverty and you feel that that brings out the vest in you, then by all means live in poverty. Don't choose to live in poverty and then get an attitude with people that don't. Virtues are mean to compliment one another. Don't choose poverty and be a biotch. Don't choose piety and be prejudice. To each his own. If it makes you a better person at the end of the day, more power to you. And that works both ways. I've just witnessed so many people relying on "virtue" to justify their actions. Gluttony is just as much as sin as is vanity. It's all about the mean! You just have to find it...
ReplyDeletewow.. my friends just keep getting smarter.. :)
ReplyDeleteusing religion as a crutch is the biggest deterrent for any outsider of the church (just ask BKem). it’s sad because sometimes i think people who are overly religious are too strict on who they will love (my parents are not very open minded.. im working on them). love isn't something invisible that you can send through thought and good intentions, it’s action. self mortification doesn't bid well for your soul if it results in pride.