A better world

‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard ... .’ (Matthew 20:1)

My middle grandson, Ben, sits across the room in my rocking chair, describing college visits as we brainstorm ideas for his application essay. He’s visited six public universities, all in the Midwestern United States, with two or three more to go.

“Every one of them says we want only the highest grade point averages, the tippy-top most ACT and SAT scores, every one of them,” Ben repeats, his arms spread wide, amplifying the meritocratic message driven home by admissions officers.

This message, I suspect, is exaggerated, both by Ben and by the universities themselves, which polish their image while fueling the anxiety of people like Ben, who do well but don’t have the highest grade point average or tippy top scores on entrance exams.

Frankly, Ben will grace, humanize and lift the level of conversation on whatever campus he appears next fall, not to mention the infusion of playful humor that is natural to him. But grace and thoughtfulness, humanity and humor are not quantifiable and do not much appear on entrance exams.

From where I sit, as the grandfather of a young man whom I love fiercely, college admissions looks like a deeply flawed, brutal, dehumanizing process where a precious few are wanted and vaunted and the rest—and most of us are, overwhelmingly, the rest—are “less than.”

Of course, this process is just a more obvious expression of deep culture forces that suggest our worth, value and truth are directly related to the score—in points, money, status or fame—that we or others assign to us. Allowing this poison to saturate your heart kills your soul and steals your joy, a truth I have too often lived and observed in others.

Perhaps this is why Jesus’ story of the landowner hits me hard. The story brings me to tears. It goes this way.

A landowner went into the marketplace at daybreak to hire workers. He went out again at nine, then at noon and three. By 5 p.m. people were still standing around, waiting to be hired. Perhaps they slept late or were lazy or not as hungry as those who woke early to be first in line. Didn’t matter. The landowner hired them, too.

He didn’t ask for resumes or test scores. He doesn’t weed them out and take only the best. He seeks all to participate in the goodness of creation, generously sharing the fullness of life. At the end of the day, they all receive the same pay. The early birds understandably grumble about the injustice of the boss’ generosity ... or stupidity.

But this misses the point. Jesus’ story startles our assumptions and upends our sense of justice to invite us into a different world, a world of grace.

Reading the story, I meet the reality of a Love, a Heart, who wants me ... and Ben ... and every last one of us. We meet the Love who doesn’t ask for resumes or test scores, but is moved only by an overwhelming generosity. We encounter an Embracing Heart eager for us to share its work and bask in the only reward Love has to offer, which is Love itself.

All in all, Jesus invites us into a better world, a much richer way of being ... where life is gift, giving is gain and gratitude graces our days.

David L. Miller