Actions and Words
“My children, our love must not simply be words or pure talk. It must be true love, which shows itself to be true in action.” — 1 John 3:18
There is a thesis gaining popularity and I think I buy into it. The thesis says talent is overrated. Now, don’t get me wrong. Neither I nor this thesis which claims talent is overrated dismisses talent, per se.
So let me try to put what sounds like a dismissal of talent into everyday language. If I had the talent to hit a golf ball 300 yards, I would not be in the pulpit each Sunday morning. I’d be teeing up for the final round of a PGA event right? But I don’t have the talent to hit a golf ball 300 yards.
And as an aside, just so I’m clear about this— Bonnie says my driving may not be good enough for the tour, but it’s not my driving that has kept me off the tour. It’s my putting.
My personal problems with putting aside, I’m sure you get the point of the golf analogy. Talent is not just important. It is necessary. And no one is dismissing the necessity of talent.
But if no one is dismissing the necessity of talent, how can it be said that talent is overrated? (Slight pause.) We now live in a scientific age. Modern research pierces hocus-pocus ideas. So, today we realize, for instance, that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was, at an early age, not blessed by the gods with an innate ability to compose. That is simply a silly idea.
Today we understand the early abilities Mozart displayed were not the product of some supernaturally large gift. That’s because we realize the early compositions he produced were nothing particularly special but were actually take offs of other people’s work, based on things he had probably heard.
Don’t misunderstand the thrust here: Mozart was very, very good, a very talented musician and that talent could be seen at a very early age. But today he would be seen as exceptional only when placed among other youngsters who are musically run of the mill. Given his early work, Mozart would not stand out as superior or extraordinary when considered among today’s top prodigies.
Coming back to golf, what Mozart had was the same thing Tiger Woods had— an ability to acutely focus for long periods of time on one thing, one area, and he had a father intent on improving the skills his son exhibited. Mozart played a lot of piano at a very young age. And Mozart also had the ability to synthesize, to analyze, to understand, to internalize, what he learned.
Woods played a lot of golf at a very young age. And Woods also had the ability to synthesize, to analyze, to understand, to internalize, what he learned.
Further, it’s quite likely both Mozart and Woods got in 10,000 hours of practice early. Hence, Tiger and Amadeus were able to build from practice and ability to the places they eventually moved.
In short, it is only once he honed the talent that he had that Mozart became an extraordinary composer. It is only once he honed the talent that he had that Woods became an extraordinary golfer. I do need to stress that an ability to synthesize, to analyze, to internalize is necessary. And these cannot be separated from working intensely at a craft for a long period of time.
Indeed, let me come back to that 10,000 hours of practice, because that number is not plucked out of thin air. The latest research suggests a prosaic, democratic, even puritanical view of the world is in order.
The latest research claims a key factor in separating the accomplished from the run of the mill is not some divine spark. It is not even a high I.Q.
Indeed, key factor separating geniuses from the accomplished from the run of the mill is deliberate, intentional practice. But let me offer one additional definition. Practice is not merely repetition.
In this case the word practice means performance, engagement, working at a craft, until it is synthesized and internalized. And the research says top performers are the ones who rigorously practice, engage their craft. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as First John: “My children, our love must not simply be words or pure talk. It must be true love, which shows itself to be true in action.” (Slight pause.)
In her work Leaving Church, the Reverend Barbara Brown Taylor says this (quote): “The whole purpose of the Bible, it seems to me, is to convince people to set the written word down in order to become living words in the world for God’s sake. For me, this willing conversion of ink back to blood— of ink back to blood— is the full substance of faith.” (Slight pause.)
As I hope you saw by the narrative I offered after you start with some talent, even if it’s just a little talent, there are two strains in a discussion about how someone becomes good at something. One is study. The second is performance, engagement. One needs to study. Knowledge is necessary. Given study, performance can be empowered when performance, engagement, is what follows.
I have, however, misled you a little by using Mozart and Woods as examples. Why? I am not talking about attaining a genius level here. The claim I’m making is that pretty near anyone can get at least good through study and engagement.
You see, when I started to golf, I was lucky to hit a drive 100 yards. Sometimes I was lucky to hit a drive 50 yards.
Where am I at now, after some study and practice? Provided I hit the ball well— not always a given— but provided I hit the ball well, I can get it out to about 200 yards, sometimes more. And I can hit it fairly straight. Or as Bonnie likes to say, the squirrels in the woods no longer have to wear hard hats when I’m on the course.
Now, it’s unlikely— no, it’s not unlikely— it’s not possible that I will ever hit the ball 300 yards. I am not that talented. But I am happy to be where I am at— not a superstar— just a guy out there playing. And I am happy to be me, to do what I do on the course.
My mentor in ministry and my friend, the Reverend Dr. Bill Imes, on short notice was once called on to preach at a meeting in place of a preacher with national reputation. I asked him if he was worried.
He said he was not at all worried. All he could be was himself in the pulpit. So, he would be himself and that would be just fine. He also said he figured that’s what God wanted of each of us. Be yourself; honesty counts.
Indeed, it has been said God does not call us because of our talent. God calls us because of our willingness. So, perhaps the question is this: are we willing to study what Scripture has to offer about the dominion of God and, having studied in an effort to discern the call of God, are we willing to participate in the dominion?
Put in a more colloquial way, are we willing not just to talk the talk? Are we willing to also walk the walk? Are we willing to put our words into action?
There are, after all, about 2,500 verses in the Bible about the poor. And nearly all of them call on us to help the poor. And absolutely none of them blame the poor for being poor— none of them blame the poor for being poor.
You see, a question for us is this: ‘when we wrestle with Scripture, when we wrestle with the Word, are we, then, in turn, called to action? Or, in the words of the Biblical scholar Miguel De La Torre (quote): “There are consequences when we truly wrestle with the biblical text, when we struggle to see the face of God.” (Slight pause.)
There is an old saying which runs this way: “Jacob was a cheater. Peter had a temper. David had an affair. Noah got drunk. Jonah ran away from God. Paul committed murder. Gideon was insecure. Marian gossiped. Martha worried. Thomas doubted. Sarah was impatient. Elijah was depressed. Moses stuttered. Zaccheus was short. Abraham was old. And, of course, Lazarus was dead. But God does not call the qualified. God qualifies the called.” (Slight pause.)
So, what does it mean to live one’s life fully? I want to suggest that we need to practice, engage. We need to practice living. But, most of all, it means we need to be willing to participate in the dominion of God, to practice what we preach.
And I think that’s what the writer of First John is getting at when these words were recorded (quote): “My children, our love must not simply be words or pure talk. It must be true love, which shows itself to be true in action.” Amen.
04/29/2012
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: (The pastor holds up a small wooden cross which was used at the Children’s Time and has people painted on the front and says:) “I think this cross, with people on it, can be a reminder that we are not just a community. We are all one in Christ and we are called by God to act as one in Christ.”
BENEDICTION: We are invited to make God’s house our home. We are equipped by the grace of God to help others on their journeys. God leads us beside still waters and restores our soul. God’s love in Jesus, the Christ, has blessed us and we shall dwell in the house of the true shepherd. Amen.
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