Self determination
I have been somewhat conflicted between crediting my own initiative verses giving credit to God for everything. I have no doubts that God gives us life and sustains us and we can do nothing without God. That being said, however, it seems to me that man’s initiative somehow plays in to the final outcome. God gives people different talents and counts on us to use them for good. Luke’s story of the master who gave each of his three servants different amounts to care for while he was away is very clear. It is also very clear that the one who shows no initiative is punished severely! This becomes a huge issue when we talk about social justice, whatever that is. When Birdie and I were young Catholics at Saint Cecilia, Father Gerace told us that God gave some more talent and ability so they could use it to help those to whom he gave less or gave special challenges. Helping those who are in bad circumstances due to no fault of their own makes perfect sense. Helping those who have blown out their brains using mind enhancing drugs, not so clear. Giving some of what I worked hard for (granted with God’s help) to those who have just not chosen to work, even more unclear.
In Act of the Apostles, Luke describes the early Jerusalem church’s sharing as a model. It was basically socialism which has never worked because it stifles initiative. This story in Acts is often quoted today as an ideal, social justice; everyone sharing equally. However, if you read further in Acts you find that within 20 years the Jerusalem church was starving and Saint Paul was collecting money from his pagan converts to rescue them. That should have been the final attempt at socialism but, alas, so many are lured by what sounds good rather than what works well and insist on continually proving that history repeats itself.
So, what do we conclude. I am persuaded by Luke’s story of the talents (repeated only slightly different in other Gospels). God gives us talents and he gives us what is necessary to use them for good. Credit for what we achieve belongs to God because we could not have achieved it without God. Pride is Man’s original sin and humility is the only antidote. The only way to recover those who have refused to use the talents given them that makes sense is to encourage or enable them to use their talent. The encouragement likely entails some deprivation and hard times. Rewarding them is like the parent who always rescues their child from consequences and wonders why they never become responsible adults. Rewards are for contribution!
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