Where your treasure is…
A friend of mine is dying from Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed 15 years ago, when he was at the peak of his career. At that time he was the president of a big company, had a house overlooking the Pacific Ocean and lots of money. As his body succumbed to the disease, my friend became reflective, humble and thoughtful–considerably different than he had been during his rise to the top. He accepted his fate with minimal anger or self-pity, although he was occasionally prone to moments of despair.
Recently I reflected on what my friend would have done if he were offered this choice: he could experience the great personal and professional accomplishments of his life, but with the knowledge that his body and mind would slowly waste away before he turned 65–or he could accept a simpler, less ‘successful’ life, but one in which he would remain healthy and content until he died in his sleep at the age of 80.
I never got the chance to propose this hypothetical question to my friend. He is no longer capable of conversation and has advanced dementia. What do you think? Do we expect that athletes who win gold in the Olympics would choose the consequences of a sudden, early death instead of a life of mediocrity and anonymity? What would James Dean’s answer have been before he was killed in a terrible accident at the age of 24? Would he have chosen to die young but exist forever as an American icon instead of living a long, healthy life as a happy but insignificant citizen?
But is the only variable in this fictional equation the choice of long life or success? Many people don’t wish to be famous or succeed on the world’s terms. A percentage of those people will also die prematurely from Parkinson’s or some other fate. It is a truism that the most important thing is not how long you live but how well you live. Does the expectation (or hope) that they will live a long time allow a person to indulge their impulses and ignore their imperfections? In my friend’s case, he was often vain and insensitive when his career was ascending. In the years after he left his job to receive treatment he became reflective and gentle.
I am presently focused on achieving things: publishing a book, writing articles. Of course I try to be a good person, etc etc. Jesus said “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Treasures can come in many types and sizes. I wouldn’t have wanted my friend’s job in a big company, but I want other things. Am I ignoring what really counts because I’m acting as if I will live forever? What if my choice was to ignore the passions that motivate me and focus more on serving God and my fellow brothers and sisters? I hear you say ‘why not do both?’ Perhaps I could. It’s a question of treasure.
petermaize 