Avoidance Strategies

Way back in the day—1984 to be precise—one of our best friends was days away from presenting her master’s thesis, and she had a lot of editing work to do. So, she arranged for a full day at home, her children and husband away, ostensibly to give her undivided attention to her task.

 But how did she actually spend her day? Making eighteen elaborate napkin rings for the family’s Thanksgiving gathering.

 So, for four-and-a-half decades now, “napkin rings” has been, for Lauren and me, a code phrase for an avoidance strategy: “You’re putting off something important, but hard.”

 Many, if not most of us, when faced with something we know will be demanding and difficult, find ways of avoiding it (think about an important conversation you know will be difficult), even though we know we can’t put it off forever.

 In this week’s Epistle reading, Paul is warning his young protégé Timothy—his “true son" and “dear child”—against any such avoidance strategies when it comes to the central task of witnessing to the gospel of Jesus, even in the face of social and political stigma and danger.

Beyond

St. Paul was imprisoned under a death sentence when he wrote his second letter to his protégé, Timothy—his “beloved child”. He knew that unless the Lord intervened he would soon be killed. Knowing this makes his words seem weightier somehow…more urgent. And there is weight and urgency in them for sure, but no regret, no shame, no fear. Because Paul could see beyond the immediacy and seriousness of his temporal circumstances to Jesus, who had “abolished death and brought life and immorality to light through the gospel.”

These powerful words were written to bring Timothy hope and strength in the midst of confusing and difficult days. To see beyond them in order to endure, to speak the truth with grace, and to keep the end (which is not the end) always in view. 

I think they’ll do the same for us in the midst of our own confusing and difficult days. 2 Timothy 1:1-14 

Vitaly Important

When it came to the topic of money, Jesus was not reticent. In fact, he talked about it surprisingly often. 11 of his 39 parables are related in one way or another to money.

Money…whether you have it, or you don’t. Whether you’re striving for it or planning for it. Its absence or its presence can create all kinds of problems: envy or self-righteousness if you don’t have it, or arrogance, pride, and hard-heartedness if you do.

Money is so vitally important because Jesus says that more than anything it resonates with, and even reveals your heart—what you love—because “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)

We are just deeply connected to “our” money. This was reality for people in Jesus’ day, and it’s reality for us today.

And so, if we desire to have a healthy relationship with our money, we must listen to what Jesus has to say…even when it’s difficult or awkward, as in this week’s Gospel reading.