I was asked by Dr. Foley recently to summarize what stewardship means to me for this year. In light of this request, I have opted to review Dr. Foley’s 5 core stewardship themes and how they integrate into our secular world, and how they might impact your stewardship pledge.
- Heart: I wish to share a story of on old talking to his son, and how the heart involves stewardship. “A fight is going on inside of me, “said an old man to his son. “It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other work is good. He is joy, peace, love, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside you.” The son thought about it for a minute and then asked, “Which wolf will win?” The old man replied simply, “The one you feed.”
- Mind: “Great minds have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Albert Einstein. Ostensibly a secular soul, yet one who gave his mind to better this world.
- Voice: “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” Civil rights and human rights activist Maya Angelou. Yes, Washington DC and other government centers: Words do matter.
- Spirit: There are two lakes in Israel, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea. Both lakes are attached to and fed by the Jordan River. The Sea of Galilee is fed by the Jordan River and it then feeds back to the river and other streams. The Sea of Galilee is the lake that nourishes most of Israel, it is filled with life and in turn, it gives life to many. The Dead Sea, on the other hand, is also fed by the Jordan River, but the water of the Dead Sea goes nowhere. The Dead Sea does not feed anything and it keeps all the water is given. The Dead Sea is barren and lifeless. Any life that tries to live in it dies. There are other lakes around the world that also only receive and do not give, resulting in only death. Do you “sea” the difference in these two? One of the two is given life and then it gives life, while the other is given life but keeps all that it receives. I know that none of us want to be barren and lifeless…if you ever want to grow, you/we need to give.
- Gifts: “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill. So, you see, even in the midst of the great WWII, this world leader could take this secular battle and transform it into how we, humanity, use the most of our gifts.
So, I ask all of you the same question: What shall you give?”
Final Prayer: As we ponder our decision to give, I quote Fred De Witt Van Amburgh: “None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.”
Thank you.
