“A man going on a journey called in his servants
and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--
to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and
traded with them, and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.”
There is something to say for security. The psychologist Abraham Maslow posited that there is a hierarchy of needs, which begins with food, shelter, and other physiological needs. The second level deals mostly with issues of safety and security. While not absolute, he thinks that the needs of one level must be mostly met before motivation based on the next level comes into play. In his expanded model, the eighth and highest level is transcendence. In essence, security necessarily comes before faith.
There is a sense in which security provides the foundation for further growth and development. It’s important, however, not to place security in our intellectual, psychological, spiritual or relational lives as the highest priority. It is tempting to stay where we feel safe and secure. It is tempting to bury our talent and wait. Why would we risk loss if we could stay cozy and secure? Similarly, why would we risk anything if our primary concern is for me and mine?
I believe the answer is love. To be love, there is necessarily the risk of rejection. Think of God’s love for us. We may not think of it being much of a risk for a transcendent God, but he becomes vulnerable to the possibility that we will reject him. Even more remarkable is that he sends his only begotten son, Jesus, to fully reveal his love for us. To do so, he risked Jesus being rejected, suffering, and dying. The fullness of his love, in fact, was revealed precisely in this risk. God could have remained safe and secure, but then we would never have known his great love for us.
God’s love for us is a different kind of security. In Jesus’s words, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Rather than shutting us off from risks by burying our gifts, we gain the courage to go outside of ourselves, out of where we are comfortable and secure, to truly love others and to grow. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is somehow upended. Some of the most faithful and happiest people are also sometimes the poorest. Some of the greatest witnesses of God’s love are the martyrs, who, like Jesus, gave their very lives for love.
If we seek security, we bury our talent and live lives that are small and closed off. If we seek love, if we risk to love, we gain a different kind of security and live lives that are expansive and open to all. We and our talents grow. Fear of rejection, loss, or failure can keep us from ever risking anything. As the scripture tells us, however, “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18) and, “we love because he first loved us” (19). May God continue to reveal his love to us and, through us, to reveal his love to the world.