Being Single-Minded and Whole-Hearted
Because of the famous 1993 movie, Schindler’s List, many people know the story of Oskar Schindler.
He was German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories, according to Wikipedia.
Early in his business life, according to an on-line site dedicated to his memory, he was “an opportunist, initially motivated by profit.” He hired Jews because they worked cheap. But when he understood the intention of Nazis to exterminate Jews, he “came to show extraordinary initiative, tenacity and dedication to save the lives of his Jewish employees.”
By the end of World War II in Europe in May 1945, “he had spent his entire fortune on bribes and other expenses to save his workers.” He spent more than 4 million German marks on the project a a fortune in those days.
Drank Heavily
His motivation was unknown. He wasn’t the Mother Theresa or Gandhi type, the site points out, but drank heavily and was a “womanizer” who liked to wear “big Nazi badges.”
In his international bestseller, Schindler’s Ark, (on which the movie was based), author Thomas Keneally says Schindler’s motivation is a mystery, but he hints at an answer in his description of Schindler’s childhood in a strong Catholic household with deeply religious parents. His nearest neighbor was the family of a Jewish Rabbi whose two sons were Schindler’s closest friends.
All this brings me to two of my favorite gospel stories that have a lot to say to people searching for God. Jesus tells the brief stories, or parables, in the Gospel of Mathew. According to The Message translation:
“God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic – “what a find!” – and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.
“Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.”
Ever wonder what it would be like to throw yourself into something and really master it? A musical instrument, a sport, a scientific pursuit, painting or sculpture? How about finding peace, joy and the meaning of life? One thing is clear about all of them. You have to be single-minded and whole-hearted.
There is risk in the search for God. You may have the feeling of being intellectually dishonest because you’re placing your faith in something that lacks certainty, as if virtually everything in life doesn’t lack certainty! But it’s not as much of a risk, in my opinion, as in failing to search for God. The rewards for the search far outweigh the perceived rewards of apathy or cynicism about God.
Problem is, we’re so distracted by so many things we have a hard time focusing on the search. The distractions include the problem of continually trying to decide if the search is worth it. Another is failing to be satisfied with the search’s rewards. A third is getting wrapped up in stuff, fame and fortune, what “the world” tells us are the only things worth pursuing.
Writing in a recent issue of America magazine, Michael Simone, S.J., says the two parables yield four lessons.
The first is that “the value of the kingdom is not apparent to the untrained eye.” Do we recognize God’s kingdom when we see it, such as in the obvious places like nature, other people, the church?
The second is that “the kingdom requires searching out.” The jewel merchant was constantly searching for excellent pearls. Do we pursue God in our care of others, in reading and study of the Bible, in sources that can enlighten us about the search?
A Certain Audacity
Third, writes Simone, “acquiring the kingdom requires a certain audacity;” that is, you have to be willing to take the risks, make the leap, maybe give up all for the prize.
The fourth is that “the present sacrifices express hope in a future joy.” The finder of the hidden treasure is ecstatic. “Many people would undergo hardship for financial gain. Jesus invites his disciples to do the same to attain the kingdom.”
Oskar Schindler started as someone willing to undergo hardship for financial gain, but ended up foregoing financial gain for a higher reward. Once he understood the stakes, he threw himself into the work of saving people, single-minded and whole-hearted. The employees he saved at great personal risk were forever grateful and they and the state of Israel rewarded him handsomely, which, of course, amounts to nothing compared to the rewards God has promised those who love him/her.
