GROWTH EMBRACES RISK…A.K.A. FAITH
In the end, it is far more costly to
take a risk and do something, than
to be ultra-careful and ultra-conservative and ultimately opt to do
nothing. The former decision is founded
in faith; the latter is rooted in anxiety and fear. President John F. Kennedy wrote, “There are
risks and costs to action. But they are
far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.” President Theodore Roosevelt remarked (in a
quote often erroneously accredited to President Kennedy), “Far better is it to
dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than
to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they
live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
Jesus Christ set forth a parable to
elaborate on the danger of procrastination, which is simply the product of fear. He spoke of three people who received varying
talents: five, two and one. The first
two stewards were commended for cultivating their gifts, i.e. utilizing them
wisely so that they (and their lord) would receive an expected return on
investment. The man who received one
talent not only devalued it, but he foolishly hid it in the earth, opting to do
nothing with the great opportunity which had been afforded him. At the return of his lord, this steward’s report
was so revealing and tragic: “I was
afraid, and went and hid they talent in the earth…” Because this man took no risks, he received
no positive reward. His lord ultimately
described him as “an unprofitable servant” and he was dispatched post-haste
into perdition. (Matthew 25:14:30)
The following story is rather reminiscent
of Jesus’ parable of the talents.
Two seeds lay side by side in the
fertile soil.
The first seed said, “I want to grow!
I want to send my roots deep into the
soil beneath me, and thrust my sprouts through the earth's crust above me. I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners
to announce the arrival of spring. I
want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the blessing of the morning
dew on my petals!”
And so she grew...
The second seed said, “Hmmmm. If I send my roots into the ground below, I
don’t know what I will encounter in the dark. If I push my way through the hard soil above
me, I may damage my delicate sprouts. What
if I let my buds open up and a snail tries to eat them? If I were to open my blossoms, a small child
may pull me out of the ground. No, it is
much better for me to wait until it is safe.”
And so she waited...
In the early spring, a yard hen
scratching around in the ground for food found this waiting seed and promptly ate it.
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