If the country wants to move forward, overcoming the difficulties laid out before us, the success depends not on one leader or one government but on individuals inspired by their own master who is the Lord. It doesn’t just matter of economic stability but the quality and meaning of life given by God according to individual life purposes. The talents, whether it is big or not, given by the Creator need to be appreciated and brought out to be used for the common good which means to bear fruit not only for oneself but also for the community. It doesn’t matter if we have five talents or two talents, even one talent; all we have to do is to use it to bear fruit as much as we could. This will be much more effective than the $700 billion bailout plan. The good news is that the master doesn’t reprimand the failure coming out of striving; rather he criticizes those who don’t trust their own gifts given by God and do nothing. It is an urgent mission to all because we are destined to be counted before the master sooner or later. And it is also crucial to meet expensive grace—not cheap grace that everyone gets without any efforts—because the master promises the reward will be great like in the parable—the master’s compliment, more talents and finally sharing the master’s joy. Therefore, it is obvious that one talent buried is not one talent saved. It is one talent lost to the master. We all know this as we see the brutal and no excuse world of finance in reality. And yet the criteria in the gospel will make all the difference because we can trust in Jesus CEO who already entrusts his property and says to us,
“You are my greatest accomplishment. Just do it out of love not fear! You will experience a vision of something larger than yourselves although when you love you open yourselves to the possibility of having your heart broken, your lives ruined and your feelings hurt. The hardest work you will ever do is to keep on acting out of love when you are faced with losing everything. However, because love never ends, ultimately, you cannot lose. No matter what the cost, in the end there is no end for those who love. There is no fear in love; perfect love casts out fear. Just do it out of love not fear.”