Talents
Kia ora!
At the Wednesday mass this week the Gospel was about the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). I’m sure readers will derive different meanings from this parable, but most people would say the key points are that one’s talents should be developed, used for the right purposes, and not neglected. Looking at this closely, surely if you are good at something, whether it be creating things with wood or metal, such as in carpentry (and that’s pretty biblical!); or painting people or landscapes, realistically or abstractly; or writing, both formally and informally; or singing or playing a musical instrument – and the list goes on – then the gospel would be saying to you, use this talent. And if you’re multi-talented, use all these talents. This seems pretty straightforward. Yet, how often do we think we haven’t any ‘real’ talents? Despite being very self-effacing, often we can’t know what we’re good at until we try. For example, until you’ve played darts, how can you know whether you’ll hit the bullseye or just an extremely unfortunate passerby?
Furthermore, just because you may initially not seem to show much promise, with practice, your real talent may emerge. This leads to another point which is very important to remember: talent alone will not get you very far. Apparently, Serena Williams copped a lot of criticism for her unconventional playing style when she was young, but she practised hard with her father as coach; and her and sister, well, you know the story. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan’s work ethic was legendary. His commitment to practice, conditioning, and continuous improvement played a significant role in his success. In the arts, Edgar Degas wasn’t considered exceptional at school, but he developed his abilities through passion and dedication and is now considered to be one of the greatest artists ever. There are plenty of other examples of individuals persevering with their chosen endeavours and putting in the hard yards and being rewarded with great success. Talent alone is not enough.
However, even if you don’t go on to become famous, this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some activity and have enough success to create joy for yourself and others – and this can happen at any age. I knew a woman who took up the piano in her fifties and gained a lot of pleasure from it. I’ve known other people who have taken up musical instruments, painting, dancing, or have learned a new language. Just trying something new, whatever it is, and giving it a go for the sheer enjoyment of it can deliver a lot of satisfaction. So don’t think, do I have the talent for this? Just give it a shot, and I mean a decent shot: stick with it. There will likely also be the payoff that it will aid your mental and physical health. But most important of all, you will bring some happiness to others by sharing your talents with them, which is the best payoff there could be.
God bless you all
Steve