Parish Missions

Stories of the Here-and-Now and the Hereafter

Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, made his fortune by inventing

powerful explosives and licensing the formula to governments to

make weapons. When Alfred’s brother died, a newspaper

accidentally printed an obituary notice for Alfred instead of his

deceased brother. It identified him as the inventor of dynamite

who made a fortune by enabling armies to achieve new levels

of mass destruction. Nobel had the unique opportunity to read

his own obituary in his lifetime and to see how he would be

remembered.

He was shocked to think that this was what his life would add

up to: he would be remembered as a merchant of death and

destruction. He took his fortune and used it to establish the

awards for accomplishments contributing to life rather than

death. And today, Nobel indeed is remembered for his

contribution to peace and human achievement-not explosives.

He also showed the difference between living for the here- and-

now and living for the hereafter.

Today’s Sacred Scriptures offer two contrasting images of using our giftedness. One from the Gospel focuses on the attempts of three servants to use the “talents” given by their master. The other from the Book of Proverbs speaks of the amazing accomplishments of a woman, amazing because she lived in a patriarchal culture that did not necessarily value the gifts women had to offer. These stories can be instructive both for the here-and-now and for the hereafter.

The servants in the Gospel were given what seems to be a very simple task, but one of the servants is plagued by his own misgivings and fear. He saw only the possibility of failing so he did nothing. The wise woman of Proverbs, on the other hand, not unlike the other two servants of Jesus’ parable, not only met her obligations, but used her imagination and ingenuity to make a profit. She was able to see all the needs of her household and succeed in fulfilling her personal responsibilities. The unwise servant was paralyzed by fear, short-sighted, and thought only of himself. The wise woman was energized by a challenge, farsighted, and disposed to the needs of others.

We might trivialize these stories if we saw them simply as practical examples of how to handle the personal challenges of our material, temporal world. But they are, after all stories of Sacred Scripture so their significance has a far deeper meaning. What these stories are calling us to as people of faith--as individuals, as a community, as a nation, as a church--is nothing less than the building of the Reign of God. We have been given gifts to use for the here-and-now and for the hereafter. Like the servants in the Gospel and the wise woman of Proverbs, we have a choice on how to proceed.

The gifts we have will be called to an accounting beyond individual accomplishment not unlike the perspective found in Alfred Nobel's story. We are charged with using our gifts to transform our world into a New Creation, a world of peace and justice where all people are equal in the eyes of God. We are called to reject discrimination in any form as opposing the will of our Creator. We cannot escape the responsibility each one of us has to ensure that the bounty of this earth is used for the benefit of all. That’s the charge the Master has set for us, not just an individual responsibility but a corporate one.

Then why it is that we as a country can build space stations in our galaxy and still struggle with finding a way to provide affordable housing, health care and education here in our own country? Why is the genius of our technological advances not bringing about a better life for the poorest of the poor around the globe? Why, as a Church, can we continue to preach the equality of the members of the Body of Christ and still deny the gifts of nearly 70% of our active members in decision making? Why do we profess the compassionate mission of the Christ and turn our backs on the very people Jesus was most interested in?

Even though today’s Scriptures involve the “households” of the master and the wise woman,and therefore our corporate selves, we should be quick to understand that the challenge is first addressed to us as individuals. Each of us is part of the corporate reality of country and church. Each of us has a voice. The challenge of today’s scriptural vision of using our gifts for the benefit of others will not allow for silence. In word and action you and I in our day to day routine must be as focused as the wise woman of Proverbs and the enterprising servants of the Gospel. Paralyzing fear and self-interest lead to the failure and severe judgment of the servant who did NOTHING.

The Eucharist we celebrate each week offers us the opportunity to choose between the paralyzing fear of the “useless servant” and the energizing ingenuity of the woman of Proverbs. Will our stewardship be characterized by cowardice or courage? Are we willing to take the risks to be disposed enough to others to say “Yes!” to a faithful stewardship that will call forth a New Creation? Will we acknowledge that as disciples of the Christ we are called to put aside self-interest so we remain as focused on the hereafter as the here-and-now?