“Who would know?”
Early on in the 1966 film, A Man for All Seasons, a young man by the name of Richard Rich is hanging around the household of Thomas More. Thomas More is a judge and Rich hopes that More’s influence can lead the young man to a position at the royal court of King Henry VIII.
Instead, More offers Rich a position at the new school as a teacher. “Teacher?” responds Rich, curling his lip in disgust.
“Why not be a teacher?” asks More. “You’d make a good one, perhaps a great one.”
Rich, still disappointed that this conversation is not going in the direction he wanted, responds. “If I were, who would know?”
“You would,” says More emphatically, “your students, your friends, …God. Not a bad public, that.”
Unfortunately for More, Rich does not appreciate such a fan base and goes on to become one of the great villains in the film. But God notices what we do, both the good and the bad.
The Power of the Small
It is part of human nature to want ot excel, to want to achieve great things. But all too often that desire gets corrupted into a pursuit of wealth, celebrity, and power over others. But history has shown that, more often than not, the people that make a difference in the world, the people who inspire others the most, are ordinary people who come from obscure backgrounds.
In 1954 J.R.R. Tolkien published the first book in his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. This high fantasy series has swept the world, influenced the way fantasy is written, and has become imbedded in our popular culture.
But “The Lord of the Rings” is a sequel to a children’s book that Tolkien had written nearly 20 years before, “The Hobbit.” Labeling it a “children’s book” does it a disservice. A book for “all ages” would be a better description. It does not “talk down” to the reader, and contains much timeless wisdom. In the 84 years since its original publication, it has never been out of print.
In the film adaptation of the “The Hobbit. An Unexpected Journey,” Gandalf the wizard is asked why he chose a hobbit, an ordinary unassuming character, to participate in a quest that would reverberate throughout the world. Gandalf responds.
“Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”
It is one of the more endearing quotes from the movie and something we need to be constantly reminded of. At the end of the day it is not the actions of world leaders, politicians, or celebrities that have the most impact on the world. Rather it is the small deeds of ordinary people, deeds motivated by kindness and love.
Kindness and love are sorely needed in the world. We have fallen so far from what God intended for us that the simplest acts of respect, love, and consideration for others, receive national attention simply because they are no longer the normal behavior we expect from each other.
Not that these act should not be recognized and applauded, they certainly should. But they underscore how uncommon simple common virtues are. They inspire us, as they should, to treat each other better. And, for better or worse, God notices what we do.
God Notices
In the story of the widow’s mite. Jesus sits down opposite the temple treasury and watches as people make their donations to the temple fund. They all pass without comment from Our Lord until a widow donates a “mite,” a coin worth a few cents. Jesus takes note and points her out to his followers.
It is not about the virtue of generosity, after all, the widow receives no reward for her sacrifice of “all she had.” Jesus does not speak to her or directly praise her.
What Jesus does, is notice her. All the wealthy people that came before her pass by without a comment from the Lord. His words of warning about rich hypocrites who devour the houses of widows, still hang in the air.
A widow in Jesus’ day was truly a non-person. No one cared for her or protected her. Widows were not allowed to inherit their husbands estate. Under Jewish law, they were entitled “maintenance” until they remarried but the laws were not always followed and besides this could still have kept her on the edge of poverty.
But as everyone else overlooks the widow, Jesus notices her. He notices her act of fidelity, kindness, and generosity. He notices this small nondescript person whose actions make a difference in the world, and he points her out to His followers.
And that ultimately is what we are to learn from the story of this nameless widow. It is a lesson that is still relevant two thousand years later. Jesus notices us. Even though we are not the celebrities of this world, even though we are not the “movers and shakers” or the rich and powerful, God notices us.
The Vocation of the Artist
It is sometimes forgotten by patrons that artists, like everyone else, have bills to pay and families to support. And so a great deal of effort is expended by artists of all types to find their audience or their “tribe,” who will support their artistic endeavors. An entire industry has grown, with the expansion of the internet, dedicated to helping artists market their work and find their audience.
This is not a bad thing but it takes time and frequently the artist must choose between creating and marketing their creations. This can lead to frustration and questions about their art, their role, and “just what is it God wants me to do anyway?” With all the pressures of the secular world, it is easy to lose sight of who we are truly working for.
Carl Schmidt (1889-1989) was an artist who spent his life discovering his vocation as a Catholic and as a painter. In an age when art was seen as a vehicle for self-exploration and personal indulgence, Schmidt saw the fine arts as “as an image of reality in its fullness, which reality is itself an image of the Triune God.” His life was not an easy one and he frequently found himself on the edge of poverty with a family to support. But he did not waver in his conviction that he was given this gift of artistic talent for a reason.
Ultimately, as Saint Paul tells, we must ask if we are seeking the approval of men or of God? (Galatians 1:10) If we are seeking the approval of men only then we run the risk of not serving God.
While the realities of life cannot be ignored, we must remember that we are all servants of God, using the gifts he has given us to do His will. For the artist, that means coming to the realization that his audience is not other people. His audience is God, His angels, and His saints. We do not serve our brothers and sisters by trying to please them. That is an impossible task. We serve them by showing them God through our work and our lives, for the two cannot be separated. The work we produce reflects, and is informed by, our moral and spiritual convictions.
It does not, in the end, matter if our work brings us wealth or fame. We will still employ our gifts because it is the vocation God has given us. And God notices how we use them.
Our small deeds, however mean and humble they may be, are noticed and remembered and cherished by our God. Even a cup of water given in His name, is remembered, and the giver shall not lose his reward.
We count.
What we do counts.
And God notices.
Pax Vobiscum
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time