THE FEAR OF RISK-TAKING
Frequently religion is understood as a system of beliefs and practices that serve to protect us from God, but don’t help to live creatively. This religion leads to a sad and sterile life where what’s important is to live secure before God, but where joy and dynamism is lacking.
It needs to be said without beating around the bush. In the depth of that religion there’s only fear. If someone seeks to protect self from God it’s because they’re afraid of God. That person doesn’t love God, doesn’t trust in God, doesn’t enjoy God’s mercy. They only fear God, and that’s why they seek remedy for their fears and phantoms in religion.
Since Jesus has come, we no longer have the right to understand and live our religion that way. God isn’t a tyrant who terrorizes people seeking selfishly his own interest, but a Father who entrusts the great gift of life to each one. That’s why Jesus imagines his followers not as «pious practitioners» of a religion, but as bold believers who are ready to take risks and overcome difficulties in order to «create» a more dignified and happy life for all. A disciple of Jesus feels self called to everything minus burying their life in a sterile manner.
The third steward in the parable is condemned, not for doing something bad, but because he is paralyzed by fear of his master and «buries» the talents that had been entrusted to him. The message is clear. To God you can’t return your life saying: «Here’s what’s yours. The life you gave me was of no use to me for anything». It’s a mistake to live a life «religiously correct» without risking ourselves to live out our love boldly and creatively.
Whoever just seeks to take care of their life, protect it and defend it, throws it away. Whoever doesn’t follow the nobler aspirations of the heart because of the fear of failing, already is failing. Whoever just dedicates self to preserve their virtue and their faith, runs the risk of burying their life. In the end we will not have committed great errors, but we will not have lived.
Jesus is an invitation to live intensely. The only things we need to fear is always living with the fear of risking ourselves, with the fear of leaving what’s «correct», without boldness to renew ourselves, without strength to actualize the Gospel, without imagination to invent Christian love.
José Antonio Pagola
Translator: Fr. Jay VonHandorf
