All people are created equal in dignity and respect, but different in terms of ability. The world needs that diversity. Some people have many talents and others only have one or two. It doesn’t matter how many we have. What counts is how we use them.
The body of Christ is often compared to the human body. Just as each body part has a special function, so do each of us have a special function in the body of Christ. It would be silly for an ear to wish that it could see while not realizing how good it is at listening. Too often we look at someone else’s talents and are envious of what they can do, but are blind to the talents we have.
I love the phrase from Voltaire and popularized by the Spider-Man movies that says, “With great power comes great responsibility.” If you are blessed with a lot of talents, more is expected of you. If your only talent is that you can balance a spoon on your nose, then not as much is expected.
It’s nice to use our talents to help us in our careers and to improve our own lives. It’s even better to use our talents to also improve other people’s lives and bring them closer to heaven. One day when we stand in front of God, we will see all the good and bad that we did in our lives. We will see the ways in which we helped bring others closer to God and also the opportunities we missed. If we are able to use our talents to give back to God we will hear Him joyfully say, “Well done my good and faithful servant, come share in your master’s joy.”
