By Danny Schrock
It’s been a pretty difficult few weeks, hasn’t it?
As I processed the news of Charlie Kirk’s death I was far more affected than I thought I would be. Why was my soul so deeply grieved and moved? Why would I cry over the death of someone I’d never met? I couldn’t place my finger on it.
Maybe it was because Charlie and I are only separated in age by 3 months.
Maybe it was imagining what his wife would be experiencing, knowing that the father of her two small children will grow up without him.
Maybe it was because I deeply admired how loudly he shared his faith in Christ.
Maybe it reminded me, in a much smaller sense, of what we do on the mission field in Europe – have open conversations with people about Christ.
Maybe it was because it seemed so evil to kill an innocent man over words.
Maybe it was because this felt like a public Christian martyrdom on United States soil.
Maybe it reminded me of how short this life is – followed by eternity.
Maybe it was a combination of all those things.
Can I let you in on what has been peppering my soul lately? The thought of Judgment Day. I’m not at all concerned about my eternal destination – I know I’m headed to be with Jesus Christ forever because of his sacrifice for my sins. It’s been the thought that what I do down here really, actually, matters… My life and actions are not insignificant. They hold eternal ramifications. That is an exciting, yet at the same time, fearful thing.
It makes me think of Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 (a talent is a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer – roughly 1 million dollars in today’s value).
In this parable, Jesus shares how a master entrusts his property to three of his servants. One servant is given one talent, another servant two talents, and a third servant is given five talents. The expectation from the master is that, when he returns from his journey, the servants will have multiplied what was given to them.
Two of the servants get right to work, but the third servant takes what’s been given to him and buries it in the ground – out of fear.
Some time later the master returns, summons his servants to settle accounts, and asks that daunting question: What have you done with what I’ve given you?
Let’s place ourselves in this story. God has given both you and I a deposit. We didn’t choose where or when we’d be born, how we’d be wired, or how “gifted” we are. Whether it’s five, two, or one talent it doesn’t matter. Occasionally, believers can get caught up in the fact that they’re not the “5 talent guy”. It’s simply “not fair” that they only have 1 talent… but that’s missing the point.
God is the one who gives us the deposit – we’re responsible for multiplying what we’ve been given.
In light of Charlie’s death I’ve been thinking of my own day of “settling accounts” with my master... what the Bible calls “Judgment Day”.
I shudder to think what would’ve happened if Charlie had taken his talents (there surely seemed to be 5 of them) and buried them out of fear. Fear of failing, fear of inadequacy, fear of criticism. Millions of people heard the clear Gospel through his social media platforms and throughout college campuses, and countless people came to the knowledge of Christ through his life.
Think of how the two servants who multiplied what was given to them felt about their master’s return… they would’ve been excited to see him. As I imagine the story I can almost hear them exclaiming, “I can’t wait to show him what’s been done! He will surely be so proud!”
Contrast that with the dread the third servant must have felt waiting for his master’s return. Excitement and anticipation would be replaced with fear and worry.
Charlie took his 5 talents and used them well.
Let’s take what God has deposited in us and multiply it. We don’t know how long we have on this earth, but we can live in such a way that we look forward to the Day of Reckoning instead of being terrified by it.
Take the risk. Forget the fear. Build the Kingdom of God.
What have you buried that God has given you? Get that shovel out, dig it up, and get to multiplying.
In September of 2024 I wrote a newsletter entry and finished it with a quote from CT Studd. 12 months later, It feels appropriate to finish this newsletter the same way:
“Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle.”
