Talent, Pt. 2 (Parable of the Talents) and Countdown to “Justice”

Parable of the Talents

(pic from here)

Will you all still love me if I take a brief vacation from Asian American issues?  I’m taking a break online (although I’m still doing Miss Asian Oregon and the book project in real life).  I need time to educate myself, and I’m excited about our Justice course which begins…drum roll…in less than 24 hours!  I was in Barnes and Noble today with Gun Gun, and I learned that Prof. Sandel also has a book called Justice.  Also, for you peeps in Seattle, Sandel is speaking TODAY (Friday) at the Harvard Club.  It’s sold out, but you can get in front and beg…that’s what I’d do if I were in our great sister city from the North!  (I’m just kidding.  If they’re sold out, they’re sold out.  You can always see him online.)

Continuing our short discussion on Talent, this whole idea of “work ethic” has come up many times throughout my life in many settings.  I wonder if it’s the same for all of you.  The very first time I became aware of he concept of talent usage as a moral virtue was in Sunday School, when I heard the following story (man, I wish I had bought the domain for bible.org.  We’d be having so much fun…):

14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work²⁷⁰ and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 25:14-30)

I never understood this story when I first heard it.  As a child, I thought it was cute how the poor slave buried his talent in the ground.  I thought to myself, “Why is the master so angry?  He had a talent, and now he still has a talent.  So why is he beating the shit out of this poor slave?”

29 years later, I now understand exactly why the Boss was so mad.  While the other slaves were investing, building companies, providing jobs for the people of old Israel, and learning Rich Dad, Poor Dad 2,000 years before Kiyosaki wrote it, this third slave was sitting on his straw couch, watching the grass grow while his talent lay buried in the ground.  I don’t know what the rate of inflation was back then, but the Boss no doubt lost out on a good opportunity cost.  If he had given that extra talent to either of the other two, he would have doubled it.  But instead, he wasted it on Slave #3.

I googled and found Steve Pavlina’s take on the Parable of the Talents, and he asks an interesting question: “What would have happened if one of the servants who invested the money realized a loss instead of a gain?” He thinks that the Boss would’ve still praised the slave, since the Bossman criticized him for being “wicked” and “lazy.”  Knowing my own feelings in my personal case, I agree with Pavlina. Failure can be commendable because at least a person can say he tried.  We love that in this culture–”Remember the Alamo!”  But when a person doesn’t even try, doesn’t even throw his hat into the ring to take a risk, I think that’s wrong.

You all know that I’m not a big fan of what the Fundies have done to this culture, but even though their book says some pretty outlandish things along with the crazy things they themselves do, there are also great pieces of wisdom in their book as well.  When you succeed with your talent, you can live with happiness.  Failure can also be a beautiful thing if it propels a person forward.  The first step in getting better at anything, I think, is to show up for the competition.